A Sorceress's Daughter
by buckwolvhoosier
Summary: Gwen and her mother come to Carvahall for refuge. They meet Garrow and his family and settle three miles away. Gwen and Eragon become friends, and soon, lovers. Together they will travel to the Varden where Gwen learns who she really is.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Eragon was four when Titania came to Carvahall with her little girl, Gwenivere, seeking work. She was a single mother which sparked gossip among the townsfolk regarding the father of the child. Titania had an exotic look about her making her stand out even more. Her daughter Gwenivere, or Gwen as she liked to be called, resembled her mother in that she had light brown hair and dazzling blue eyes, but she had a wild spirit about her; something her mother struggled to keep up with.

Garrow and Marian offered Titania work on their farm. In return, he helped build her a house three miles from the farm. Very quickly Marian and Titania became good friends and so did Eragon, Gwen, and Roran. The three played many games such as tag and hide-and-seek around the farm often getting in the way of the adults.

A worn path had been formed from the frequent passage Titania and Gwen made to and from the farm. One day, the two could be seen running as fast as they could when news that Marian became deathly ill reached their ears. At this time Eragon and Gwen were nine and Roran was eleven. It was also the time when Eragon learned that Marian and Garrow were not his real parents, rather they were his aunt and uncle, and Roran was his cousin. His mother was a woman named Selena and no one knew who his father was. For the first time Eragon was able to relate to Gwen. Garrow and Titania often found them making up fanatical stories about their parent's which made them laugh. This similarity kept the two as best friends as time went on.

~*~

Gwen trudged on over to the barn where she was to milk the cow. A yawn escaped her mouth emphasizing her tiredness as she was up late celebrating her 17th birthday on the farm with Eragon and his family. She opened the barn door, walked in, and sat on a stool next to the cow. She set the lantern down by the stool and began milking. A few minutes in, an eerie feeling crept over her causing a chill down her spine. She stopped milking to look around the barn but nothing was amiss as far as she could tell. She shook her head and started milking only to stop again. This time the cow began to act up. In an effort to calm her down the lantern was kicked over igniting a fire. Scared Gwen opened the pen of the cow releasing it from the barn. She quickly ran to do the same for the other animals. As she was opening the pen for a horse, she was struck by a hoof and fell to the ground unconscious.

~*~

Eragon quickly awoke as the noise of scared animals filled his ears. He ran out of his room and across the house to the door. Outside he watched as horses and cows ran wild about a burning barn. Garrow, Titania, and Roran soon joined him on the porch shocked.

It was then when he realized something: Gwen. With out hesitation he ran towards the burning barn, Garrow yelling after him. Smoke burned his eyes as he entered the structure. He frantically looked around for Gwen; he found her by the last stall unconscious on the ground. He ran towards her, lifted her limp body and carried her bridal style out of the barn just before it collapsed. "Bring her inside!" Garrow exclaimed, "Titania watch her while I go get Gertrude!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Eragon stared off into the distance trying to put together all that had happened that day. He was on the porch leaning against the railing. One question plagued his mind: what exactly did Gwen mean when she said she felt a strange presence in the barn? Behind him, Titania approached reaching for his arm. "Eragon, are you all right?"

Startled, he whirled around. When he saw that it was just Titania, he said, "I think so. How's Gwen?"

"She'll be fine. Look, I came out here to thank you; you did a brave deed saving her from the fire."

"It was nothing."

"That's not true. You do realize that if not for you, she would have perished."

A shiver ran down Eragon's spine at the thought.

"I don't know what I would have done if I had lost her; she is my entire life. Tears brimmed her eyes as she spoke.

"I-I cannot imagine how awful it would for a parent to lose their child."

"Humph." Titania got hold of her emotions and said, "It's late, we should probably go to bed."

"Yeah." He followed behind the woman inside the house and started towards his room where Gwen was laying on his bed, sleeping. The room was empty; Gertrude was in the kitchen talking to Garrow and Roran was already asleep. He sat on the edge of the bed, leaned over and gently kissed her on her forehead. "Good night" he whispered before he left for the couch in the living room.

In the kitchen, the adults whispered about the incident, the condition that Gwen is in, and finally the relationship between Eragon and Gwen. As soon as he heard them talking about him, Eragon strained his ears to hear what was being said.

"Did he kiss Gwen goodnight?" he heard his uncle ask.

"You know, I think he did." Titania responded.

"I figured this day would come."

"Same here, although I didn't think that it would be sparked by tragedy."

"Aye, I hear ya."

"So, when do you think the wedding will be?" Gertrude finally managed to ask.

A fit of laughter filled the room. "Hopefully not too soon." Titania chuckled.

With that, Eragon heard them disperse for bed.

~*~

Gwen got up, walked out of the bedroom, and headed outside for some fresh air. She noticed Eragon drinking from a canteen and tiptoed over behind him. When he finished swallowing a large gulp, she poked him in the side. Immediately he turned around. "Gwen!"

"Hey!" She laughed as he enveloped her in a big hug.

"It's good to see you out and about." He released her and offered her the canteen. "Water?"

"No thanks. I see that you are rebuilding the barn." She pointed to where Garrow, Roran, and a few villagers worked.

"Aye. Hey Gwen, can I ask you a favor?"

Of course, what is it?"

"Can you please not burn this one down."

"Shut up!" she scowled pushing him away as he laughed.

"I'm kidding. Gosh!"

"You better be." She smiled. "Look I actually came out here to thank you for saving my life."

Eragon flushed red, "Now you sound like your mother; she said the same thing to me. Look, I did what I had to." His heart started to pound faster when Gwen came closer to him making him feel awkward.

"I understand, but it was brave; I mean you could have gotten hurt yourself."

"I know, but…" he stopped unsure of how to respond.

"Gwen!" Roran exclaimed.

"Hey, Roran."

Just like Eragon had done, he hugged her. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" he asked uncertain.

"No" Gwen lied with a sigh; she really wanted to be alone with Eragon.

"Good. I'm glad you are feeling better."

"Thanks."

Roran turned his attention over to his cousin. "Can I have the canteen?"

"Sure." Eragon handed the canteen to him.

"Hey, have you by any chance seen my mom; she isn't in the house."

"Sorry, no I haven't."

"Eragon, have you?"

"No."

Roran finished drinking from the canteen, wiped his mouth dry and said, "Well, I got to get back to work, Eragon you coming?"

"Yeah, right behind you. We can talk later, bye!"

"Alright. Bye!"

Out of earshot of Gwen, Roran asked his cousin, "Tell me the truth, what is up with you and Gwen?"

"Nothing. We are best friends."

"At this age" he looked Eragon from head to toe, "Yeah right."

A bit embarrassed Eragon said, "Ok, fine. I love her, but…"

"But what? If you love her, tell her! I bet she loves you too." He winked.

"No! What if she doesn't. I do not want to ruin our friendship."

"Ruin your friendship?"

"Yeah. If I tell her that I love her and she doesn't feel the same for me, then it will be weird hanging out together."

"I see. You're afraid."

"Yes…" he stopped realizing what he just admitted. "Hey!" he pushed Roran.

"Look Eragon, if she is not with you, then who else is there? I know of a few guys in the village who would love to be with Gwen, so if you do not claim her now, you may lose her forever."

"Shut up!" scowled Eragon.

"Suit yourself." He sighed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"It looks wonderful!" smiled Gwen upon seeing the barn finished.

"Thanks. It was hard work, but she's finally done. Now the animals do not have to be outside all day." Eragon said. They were alone in the barn and Eragon could not keep from staring at Gwen; ever since that conversation with Roran he has been thinking of Gwen non-stop. With her peripheral vision, she noticed his eyes on her which made her feel a little uncomfortable.

"Well, I had better be getting back to my chores." Gwen said.

"Yeah, me too." Sighed Eragon. Together they exited the barn and went their separate ways; Gwen inside to help her mother cook dinner and Eragon to the fields.

~*~

"So Gwen, how'd it go with Eragon today?" Titania asked.

"Mom!"

"Don't mom me. He likes you."

"Yeah, as a friend." Scoffed Gwen, embarrassed.

"Aha, sure. I don't believe that."

"Fine, believe what you want."

"Oh, I will. What I want to know is how you feel about him."

"What do you mean?" She turned towards her mom who was peeling potatoes.

"Do you like him, you know, more than a friend?"

Her question left her dumbfounded. "No…he is my best friend."

"Do you really mean that, or are you just saying that because you do not want to admit the truth."

Gwen became uncomfortable with her mom putting her on the spot. "Why do you care?"

"I'm your mother who wants to be a part of her daughter's life. Is that a crime."

Gwen laughed a bit. "No, mom. But…ugh, I don't know."

"Know what?"

"Look, I am not sure what I feel for him. Before the barn incident, we were just best friends. Now I see him staring too long at me and it makes me uncomfortable."

"I see." She finished peeling the last potato and started to cut them into pieces. "You, know, I had trouble with your father."

Gwen perked up her ears at the mention of her father. "Yeah."

"He is not like most men."

"What do you mean?" Gwen inquired.

"Look, there is a reason that I left him; I never loved him."

"What?" This whole time Gwen thought of her father as this wonderful man who her mother loved but for some reason could not be together. Now all she ever thought was shattered.

"It's true. He is an evil man Gwen. When I was pregnant with you, I had to get away from him, for your safety."

"I just don't understand, if you didn't love him then why were you with him in the first place?" She was so confused.

"It's complicated. I will have to explain that part to you later."

"Later? Why can't you tell me now?"

"For your own protection…"

"Protection from what, mom? Huh? I'm not a little girl anymore!"

"I understand that…"

"No you don't; you just think you do!"

"Gwen!" Titania grabbed hold of her daughter by the shoulders. "Listen to me. I have done some things that I am not proud of, okay. You are the only joy in my life; I would give my life for you. I love you."

"I love you too, mom, but I just want to know."

"I know, sweetie, but I am afraid to tell you. I do not want you to make the same mistakes I did." She let go of her daughter and started to peel some more potatoes.

"Yeah. I just don't get how if you do not tell me the mistakes you made."

"All will be explained in due time."

"I hope so." A thought came to her mind. "What does this have to do with Eragon and I?"

"Well, I was going to make the point that unlike your father, he is a good man. He loves you, but what about you? Think about it." With that the conversation ended.

~*~

After dinner Gwen went to her secret spot in the woods next to the farm. Actually it was Gwen and Eragon's secret spot; they discovered it when they were younger and went there when ever they needed sanctuary. Gwen sat down amongst the leaves and wrapped herself in her cloak. She then began to think about what her mother said earlier that day. After a while, she heard a stick break and looked to see Eragon coming. "I thought I might find you here."

"Hey, Eragon."

"What's wrong? You look a bit depressed."

In a low voice Gwen said, "I got in a fight with my mom today."

"Really!" For as long as he could remember, Gwen always got along with her mother. "Over what?" Eragon sat down next to her

"She brought up my father."

"Oh." Again, Eragon was stunned; Titania never brought up Gwen's father before. "What did she say about him?"

"She said that she never loved him because he is evil. When I asked her why she was even with him, she wouldn't tell me. All that she said was that it was for my protection."

Eragon remained silent so that she could finish. "I told her that I'm not a child, but she didn't listen."

"Wow!" Gwen looked at Eragon. "You know the same thing happened to me when I asked Garrow about my mother. Remember?"

Gwen thought for a minute then said, "Yeah I remember. He told you that whatever her reasons, that it was for your own good."

"Exactly. Look, be glad that you at least have your mother; I don't have either."

"I know."

Taking a risk, Eragon placed his arm around Gwen and kissed her forehead. "You're gonna be alright."

Smiling, Gwen placed her head on his shoulder. "I know that, now."

They sat there together for a few minutes until Titania's voice filled the air. "Gwen, where are you!"

Not wanting their spot compromised, they got up and walked back to the farm.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Eragon's breath swirled around in the cool Autumn air. He notched an arrow and took his stance. The doe stood about twenty feet in front of him. He released the arrow. A garish blue light filled the clearing scaring the deer away before the arrow struck. Eragon ducked under a bush to conceal from any danger. He stayed there listening intensely for any noise, but none came. Soon he stood up and looked around. Cautiously, he began to walk forwards towards the clearing. Where the doe once stood an oval stone now sat, dust and smoke surrounded the air around it. He knelt down and examined the stone. It was all blue with thin white lines running lengthwise down its side. He picked up the stone and noticed that it felt too light for its size. _Where did this come from?_ He thought. He was going to set it down again and leave when an idea came to mind. He placed the stone in his sack and took off.

~*~

Back in Carvahall, Eragon headed into Sloan's shop. The butcher stood behind the counter chopping meat. He never looked up to acknowledge his customer which made Eragon aggravated. "Sloan I have something to trade."

Sloan raised his eyes away from the meat. "Really. What would that be?"

Eragon took off his sack, opened it up, pulled out the stone, and set it on the counter opposite Sloan. "What is this, some sort of stone?"

"I found it."

"Stole it more likely."

"I was hunting; hunting in the Spine."

Sloan looked Eragon in the eyes. "P-p-put it back then. It belongs to the King!" He shoved the stone towards Eragon.

"You won't accept this?"

"No."

"But I need meat."

"Not my problem."

"Look Sloan Winter is nearly upon us and my family needs meat!"

"Boy don't you dare raise your voice at me! This is my shop, I decide what is acceptable payment and what isn't.

Before punches could take place Horst stepped through the doorway.

~*~

Gwen doodled in the dirt with a stick. She was in the secret spot in the woods bored out of her mind. Ever since Eragon left to go hunting she felt different, she felt as if there was a piece of her missing and nothing seemed to cheer her up. She never had this feeling before which scared her a bit. _What is wrong with me?_ She let out a sigh and threw the stick. It was then she heard a commotion in the distance. _Eragon's back!_ Gwen stood up and ran back to the farm.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Gwen joined the group of men. "What's all the noise about? Did Eragon bring back the entire deer population?" she asked sarcastically.

Eragon boomed with laughter. "Not quite. It's good to see you again, Gwen." He smiled.

Heat spread to her cheeks as she returned the smile.

"Eragon was unable to fell a deer, instead he went to Sloan to barter off a strange stone he found." Roran held up the stone. The sunlight made the stone glitter and shine nearly blinding her.

"One question, if he bartered off the stone, then why is it here now?" she asked, puzzled.

"I tried to barter it off. Sloan wouldn't accept it because I found it in the Spine. Horst bought the meat for us." Eragon took the stone from Roran.

Garrows eyes narrowed. "Eragon, you know that I do not accept charity!"

"Relax, uncle, I promised him that I will work for him this coming summer in his shop."

"Good." Garrow heaved a sigh of relief. "Put the meat inside and meet me in the fields. Much work still needs to be done before the snow begins to fall."

"Yes, uncle." Gwen followed Eragon inside hoping to talk to him again before he heads out to the fields. "Okay Gwen, what's up? Why did you follow me in here?"

Gwen hesitated before she began. "I want to ask you something."

"Um, okay. What is it?" His heart skipped a beat.

"How did you find the stone?"

"Are you serious?! That's what you followed me in here for?" He asked getting a little upset.

A surprised look spread across her face; this is the first time Eragon seemed mad at her.

When she didn't respond, Eragon turned around to face the door. He wanted to leave the awkward situation, but his feet rebelled against him. Behind him, Gwen sighed. "It was a simple question, Eragon." After, she shoved passed him walking out the door. Once outside, she started to run. Angry with himself, Eragon chased after her into the woods. Gwen came to a halt at their secret spot. Eragon regained his balance after he almost ran into her. Gwen whirled around, her piercing eyes gazing into Eragon. "Leave me alone." She crossed her arms about her chest.

"Stop pouting already, you're acting worse than some of the girls in town. It's getting annoying."

"Then why don't you leave me be since I am annoying you."

"Stop it!"

"Don't tell me what to do!" She unfolded her arms and clenched her fists.

"Damn it, Gwen, what is your problem?!"

"What's yours?"

Her retort caught him by surprise. "You are the problem."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know perfectly well…" he cut himself off as he realized what he was saying.

"Well what?" she demanded.

"Never mind." He scoffed.

"Eragon, what do you want?" she was getting furious now.

Before he could stop himself he yelled, "You!"

Gwen's anger suddenly diminished. Her heart thudded harder in her chest, butterflies filled her stomach, and her hands began to become sweaty as he stepped towards her. "I want you." He repeated.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Recap:

"Eragon, what do you want?" she was getting furious now.

Before he could stop himself he yelled, "You!"

Gwen's anger suddenly diminished. Her heart thudded harder in her chest, butterflies filled her stomach, and her hands began to become sweaty as he stepped towards her. "I want you." He repeated.

End Recap

"There, I said it." Eragon finished. Gwen fiddled with her dress, nervous.

"You want me?" she asked, shyly.

"I love you." His words penetrated her ears as tears brimmed her eyes, but resisted falling down her cheek.

"Oh, Eragon, I…I never knew you felt this way about me."

"I didn't until recently. The night the barn caught fire I realized I loved you. I denied the truth until Roran badgered me about it."

"That's what you wanted me to say; that's why you got upset when I asked you about the stone!" The revelation made her head spin.

"I had no reason to be upset with you. I'm sorry about that. I was just hoping that you would mention it and when you didn't, I just snapped."

"What do you want me to say to this?"

"Just answer me this question: Do you love me, you know, as more than a friend?"

Gwen swallowed hard. _He wants me to say it to him; he will know that I would be lying if I say no._ "I think so" was her final decision.

"I'll take that as a yes." He took her by the hand and drew her towards him. After, he started to lean in to kiss her on the lips. Gwen stood there waiting for the impact.

She could feel the heat from his lips as they were about to touch when a loud voice filled the air startling them. They turned their head and came face-to-face with Garrow.

"What's going on here?!"

It was a rhetorical question, but Eragon felt inclined to answer him. "I was talking with Gwen."

"Of course you were. Come, we have work to be done. Gwen you should go home." Garrow said as politely as possible.

Gwen backed away from Eragon's hold and said, "Yeah, I should get going."

Garrow grabbed Eragon by the shoulder and began leading him out of the woods. "How did you find us here?" asked Eragon.

"Roran told me."

"He knew?!"

"Apparently."

Gwen started back to her house feeling short-changed. _We were so close to kissing. Why did Garrow have to show up like that._ Her thoughts plagued her all the way home.

~*~

Titania was busy pulling weeds in the garden when Gwen showed up. "Hey mom, I'm home."

"Finally, I thought you'd never show. How was your day?"

"Eh, same as usual."

"Is that why you have that perplexed look upon your face? Come here, tell me what happened. Is this about Eragon?"

"Mom!"

"Ah, it is!"

"Stop it. I don't want to talk about it, okay."

"Fine. I'll just bore you to death by telling you everything I know about plants."

Gwen grew up with her mother teaching her about multiple subjects. One of them was plants. She had heard her moms lecture many times on the topic which gets on her nerves. Her mother always used this against her to pump her for information. "Ugh! Alright, I'll tell you a few things."

"That's better."

"Eragon came back today. He didn't have any deer with him, instead he had meat from Sloan. He did, however, have this blue stone with him."

"Blue stone?" her mother asked, confused.

"Yes, a blue stone. He found it in the Spine. He tried to barter it off to Sloan, but Sloan refused. Somehow Horst found out about the situation and paid Sloan for the meat Eragon needed."

"Interesting. Tell me, did Eragon say how he found the stone?"

"Ironically, I asked Eragon that very question and you know what?"

"What?"

"He got mad at me! In response, I got mad back. I took off while he followed behind. We ran into the woods where we talked things out."

"Wait, let me get this straight. He got mad at you because you asked a question?"

"Yes. It was really weird; I've never seen him like that before."

"I hear you. So, you were in the woods talking. Anything else happen?"

"No, not really. Garrow came and interrupted us. He told me go home and I did, obviously."

"Obviously. Hmm…I still feel as though you are hiding something from me."

"Hiding something?"

"Yes, hiding something. You and Eragon got into a fight, ran off into the woods, and somehow managed to patch things up. What did you talk about?"

"You know, why he was mad at me when I asked a question."

"And what did he say?"

"Mom, that's getting too personal."

"Is it?"

"Yes. Now leave me alone, please."

"Fine, fine. I will let it rest…for now."

"Humph." Gwen knelt down beside her mother to pick out the weeds.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

That night the first flakes of snow fell on Carvahall. By morning a white coating covered the land reflecting the sun's rays poking out of the horizon. Gwen squealed in delight when she looked out her window. _It's going to be a great day!_ Gwen loved the snow. When she was younger she would build snow forts, snowmen, make snow angels, and throw snowballs. The only thing is that she couldn't be out for very long because the winter's here were very cold and she didn't want frostbite. Gwen laced her boots, put on her coat and headed outside. It was lightly snowing now. Gwen stuck out her tongue and caught a few snowflakes. She walked around for a little while before heading back inside. Her mother was pouring hot water into a mug of tea leaves when she took off her coat and placed in on the coat rack. "Morning mom."

"Good morning. How is it out there?" She stirred the contents of the mug.

"Cold and white."

Titania handed Gwen the mug. "Here drink this. It will get you warmed up in no time."

Gwen took the mug from her mother and blew into it to cool it down. Then she took a small sip. "It's good. What is it?"

"Mint tea. I learned how to make it from my mother."

"Well she taught you well."

"Thank you."

"So, what are we doing today?" Gwen set the mug down on the table.

"Well pretty much everything here that needed to get done is done. Garrow still has a lot of work yet. We can head on over in a bit and help them out."

"Sounds good to me." Gwen smiled. _Maybe today will be the day! _She took up the mug again and didn't put it back down until the tea was gone. She then ate a slice of bread before she put her coat back on and left for the farm with her mother.

~*~

It was almost nightfall when they headed inside. All the crops were harvested and placed in crates. The crates were then placed on a wagon ready for when the traders arrive. The crops that they kept was placed in a storage shed near the barn. Eragon sat down on the floor next to Gwen who was warming her hands by the fire. He placed his hands, palm side out, towards the fire just like she was doing.

"Hello Eragon."

"Hey." Since they never finished what they started the other day, they felt a little awkward around eachother.

"I'm so glad we are finally done harvesting."

"Yeah, me too."

Roran came and mimicked what they were doing. "Yay, some warmth."

Gwen chuckled. "I know. I do not want to leave it feels so good."

"So, what's been going on with you two?" Roran asked winking at his cousin.

"Nothing out of the ordinary." Eragon responded.

"You are such a terrible liar."

"Shut up."

"I knew it! You two are together."

"Alright, we are together, now be quiet."

Roran let out a haughty laugh. "Why should I be quiet about it?"

"Because we are not really together-together yet."

"He's right Roran," she went on to say, "we were interrupted by Garrow yesterday right when…" she cut off, embarrassed.

"Wait! You mean you two almost kissed?!"

"Yes." Eragon said.

"I'm so sorry, Eragon. I am the one who told Garrow where to find you. If I only had known that's why you were together-"

"No, you're wrong. We were in a fight. She ran off because I got mad when she asked me about the stone. I followed her. We talked things out and after we…well, you know what I mean."

"Aye. Okay then." He stood up. "I am going to bed, goodnight." He winked.

"Good night." Eragon and Gwen said in unison.

Roran disappeared down the dark hall. Titania and Garrow were in the kitchen laughing about something. When Garrow caught his breath he said, "Well I need to milk Calla." He left the house. Titania walked up to the fire place where Eragon and Gwen still sat.

"Are you ready to leave now Gwen?"

"No, not yet. Why don't you go along without me. I will be home later."

"Okay. Be good." She gave Eragon a stern look before heading out.

"She knows, doesn't she."

"Yes, she does." Gwen stood up and curled up on the couch. Eragon stayed where he was at, but turned his body to face Gwen. The fire's light danced across her face illuminating her features. Even though she was quite dirty from the days work, she still looked like an angel to him.

In a low voice he said, "You look beautiful."

Gwen scoffed. Eragon crawled over to the couch. "I'm being serious Gwen."

She met his sparkling blue eyes. "I know, but still, I am covered in dirt." He got up from the floor and sat next to her, his heart racing.

"And I'm not?" A small laugh escaped her lips. Eragon placed his hand on her cheek making her face him. They gazed into each other's eyes for a few moments. Then they began to lean in, slowly. Then their lips touched.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The kiss was brief but very satisfying. Gwen stared into his eyes and whispered, "I love you."

"I love you, too." He cradled her in a sweet embrace. They were silent for a little while just enjoying the moment before Eragon had to say something. "Do you still want to know how I found the stone?"

Gwen looked at him weirdly and said, "Sure."

"Well, I had the deer in my sight and released an arrow. All was good for a few seconds, but then suddenly there was this bright, blue, explosion. It scared me, so I immediately ran behind a nearby bush. Nothing stirred. Gaining some courage, I peeked out from the bush seeing nothing but charred trees and smoke. I got up and walked slowly to the epicenter where the stone was sitting, unscathed. I had no idea what to make of the situation and even more unsure what to do about it. Eventually, I picked up the stone and headed home."

Gwen's jaw was open, her eyes staring at him. She quickly got a hold of herself and said, "Magic was used." Eragon nodded. "The question remains, why was the stone transferred to the Spine?"

"That's why I hesitated before I brought the stone home. I just hope that the stone isn't too important and that someone will not go looking for it."

"Aye." She yawned.

"You're tired, you should go home and get some sleep; I will walk with you."

"I will, thank you."

"Of course," he smiled.

Eragon stepped into the barn, "Uncle, I am going to walk Gwen home, okay."

"Are you now? Alright, try not to dilly-dally too much," he said winking at his nephew.

Gwen giggled. "We will try, but there is no guarantee."

Laughing, Garrow nodded, "Yeah, that's what I thought. Well, get going and be safe."

"Sure thing. Bye." Eragon said.

Together, hand-in-hand, they left the barn and trekked the three miles to her home. The dark house got closer and closer until they were at the door. "Well, here we are." Eragon turned to face Gwen. Her eyes sparkled in the moonlight as she looked at him.

"Good night," she said before she leaned in and kissed him. Eragon placed his arms around her waist and pulled her closer as he kissed back. Their hearts pounded faster as they continued to kiss and before she knew it, Gwen's back was to the door, Eragon's body up against hers. What started out as an innocent kiss turned into a passion play of spiraling teenage emotions.

Suddenly, Eragon stopped kissing Gwen and took a step back. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go this far, I…" He was cut off.

"No, it's fine, really."

Eragon looked at her, shocked. He was sure that he had offended by coming on to her so quickly. "Are you sure?" She nodded. "Okay, please don't take this the wrong way, but maybe we shouldn't be all alone like this again. I mean we got dangerously close to…well…you know. I love you Gwen and do not want to hurt you in any way."

Gwen flushed. "I understand and you're right. Well," she yawned, "I better turn in. Good night. I love you." This time she went directly inside leaving Eragon alone in the darkness.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The traders finally made it to Carvahall after having a hard time traveling across Alagaesia in the harsh winter. Garrow, Eragon, and Roran were busy loading the cart with vegetables and other miscellaneous objects to sell. Gwen and her mother were already at the farm with their cart of goods and were waiting for the men to finish before they left together for town.

"Come on, hurry up with those bags, we do not have all day!" Garrow bellowed. Eragon ran back to the storage room for another bag of potatoes, Roran following suit. Garrow took an unneeded chair from the house and placed it on the cart. Titania went up behind him.

"Do you want any more help?" she asked. Gwen walked up next to her mother.

"If you want I could help load up some bags."

"Nah, you do not need to do that. We are almost done anyways." Garrow smiled.

"All right, we were just making sure."

Soon, Eragon placed the last bag on the cart. After, he turns to look at Gwen. She smiles and opens up her arms. He runs over to her, picks her up and twirls her around, Gwen squealing in delight. Before her feet touched the ground again, Eragon kisses her. Roran laughs and walks up to his cousin.

"That's enough you two love birds." He jokes.

"I should say the same for you and Katrina." Eragon retorts.

"All right boys, that's quite enough. We need to get going now." Roran goes with Garrow on their cart while Gwen and Eragon went with Titania. Eragon wrapped his arm around Gwen holding her close to him. She laid her head on his shoulder.

"I love you." He whispered in her ear before he kissed the side of her head.

"I love you, too."

Titania smiled at them and led the horses behind Garrow's cart. "Here we go."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Carvahall was full of people running here and there. The traders were at the far side of the village, their camp already set up. Women bustled their way to the jewelry outlets while the men looked at new tools. Children ran to the candy shops buying all the sweets they could with the little money their parents gave them. Garrow and Titania parked their carts near the traders. Normally, Garrow would have gone to a vegetable pavilion to sell, but this time he pulled put a covered oval object and motioned for Eragon. "Come, let us find a jeweler who can tell us how much this stone is worth."

"I'll be right with you, Uncle." Eragon looked at Gwen. "Why don't you go and look a round for a bit. I will meet up with you later."

"Sure. Try not to take too long." She kissed him. In the distance, some local boys stared at them; they have never seen them together like that before and were jealous for they wanted Gwen.

"I will try." Eragon left her and walked with Garrow.

"You going to be all right by yourself, Gwen?" Roran asked.

"Yeah, I will be fine." She smiled. "Go find Katrina." She shooed him off.

Roran left to find his beloved Katrina. Gwen wandered around looking at the various shops, the smell of pies and candies filling the air with its sweet aroma. She watched as a group of young boys wrestled in the street in the way of the people passing, and laughed. When she turned to head towards a silk shop, Jasper, a local boy, approached her. "Hello, Jasper. What do you want?" She held her breath waiting for his response. Jasper always had a crush on her and numerously tried to get with her. Of course she always turned him down; he was a stubborn jerk who likes any pretty girl who comes his way. His parents are the riches folk in town and he is used to getting what he wants. No one really likes him or his family very much.

"Oh, I just wanted to ask you something. I want to know what is between you and that farm boy." Jasper never called Eragon by his name, just farm boy.

"Really? Well, we are officially together now, so if you please excuse me, I have somewhere to be." She lied hoping to get away from him.

"Aww, you two are cute together." He smiled that cruel, odd smile of his, the smile he uses when he is being sarcastic. "When is the wedding?"

"Very funny, Jasper. Now I really need to go."

"Go where? I am not finished talking to you. You just can't leave me."

"Yes I can. Now leave me alone." Gwen started to walk away, only to be stopped; Jasper grabbed her arm. "Jasper! Let go of me!"

"No until I am done talking to you."

"What do want to talk to me about?!" She demanded. He wrestled free of his grip and crossed her arms.

"I want to know what you see in that farm boy."

"First of all, stop calling him farm boy; he has a name you know! Eragon is a sweet man who cares deeply for me. He loves me and I love him. I've loved since the day I first met him." Gwen's memory reflects back to their first meeting.

"Pfft. Sweet, I am sweet too and I care about you."

"Stop lying, you only care about yourself and material items than people. You don't care for me, you care about how nice I would look on your arm, as your woman, your prize."

"Isn't that what a woman is for, to make the man look good." He smirked.

"You foul creature! Let me go now. I gave you your answer."

"Hey! Watch who you are calling foul. And, no I am still not done talking to you."

"Look, Jasper, I really need to get back to…to my mother. She wants me to help her pick out some fabric." She fibbed, again. Of course, Jasper didn't believe her.

"Excuses, excuses."

"What do you want, Jasper?"

"I want you to dump that farm boy and get with me. You know that I can support you better than he could. All he can do is, well, farm. I can run a business and be very successful and rich, which, of course I already am." He smiled, beaming at his family's accomplishments.

"Eragon can support me well enough; he is a successful farmer."

His smile went away. "Well then, I am going to have to persuade you then, aren't I."

Gwen's heart stopped. _What does he mean by that? _Before she could do anything, Jasper grabbed her and kissed her on the lips. During the kiss, Gwen fought back, but to no avail; Jasper was far too strong for her to break free, but she didn't give up. He kept kissing her as she struggled with him while he led her to a dark alley where people avoid. In the alley, he pushed her up against the wall of a building and started to feel her up starting with her thighs. Gwen kept kicking him and tried to scream, but his mouth never left hers, so she couldn't make out more than a whimper. A few minutes passed and Gwen was wearing out. Jasper started to lift up her dress and right when she thought her virginity would be compromised, a fist came and hit Jasper in his side.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Recap:

Jasper started to lift up her dress and right when she thought her virginity would be compromised, a fist came and hit Jasper in him side.

End recap:

Jasper turned around and came face-to-face with Roran. Roran punched Jasper again causing him to fall to the ground. Before long, Eragon showed up from around the corner and joined in on the fight. "You sick bastard!" yelled Eragon.

Jasper gasped for air. He was up on his feet again raising his fists in front of his face. 'Gwen can do much better than you, farm boy!"

Furious, Eragon socked jasper in the face; Jasper's reflexes were too slow to block the blow. "Better? Ha! You can't even defend yourself!"

Jasper tried to hit Eragon in the stomach, but he missed as Eragon moved to the side. Roran watched and laughed. "And you call yourself a man? Come Eragon, let us leave him. Gwen is all right and we do not want to cause any more of a scene."

Eragon was reluctant to leave; he wanted to kill Jasper for what he did to Gwen. "You better leave Gwen alone, or else!" Eragon punched Jasper once more before turning around to leave. He started walking when suddenly he was jumped; Jasper jumped on his back causing Eragon to stumble. Roran grabbed hold of Jasper trying to get him off his cousin. Jasper pulled Eragons hair and ripped out a few strands before he fell off his back. Roran kicked him in his side, hard. "What is your problem?!"

"I want Gwen and I am not going to giver her up without a fight!" he said, blood oozing out of his mouth.

"Fine!" Eragon hissed. He tackled Jasper as soon as he stood up. Roran watched in horror as his cousin kept punching Jasper in the face. This time, Jasper was able to get Eragon in his face and side. They fought for what seemed like hours. Roran gave up trying to stop Eragon, after all, he knew he would have done the same if that happened to Katrina. By the time Garrow found them, Eragon had a bloody nose, lip, and was bruised everywhere. Even so, Jasper received more damage with a broken nose, black eye, swollen lip, and tons of bruises. Gwen and Katrina were standing behind Garrow.

"Eragon, stop this right now!" He scolded. "You are better than this."

Eragon got off of Jasper and looked at his uncle, then to Gwen. "I'm not sorry for what I did, uncle."

Garrow sighed.

Jasper stood up. "What, that's it? You are not going to punish him for what he did to me?"

"No, I'm not. Why should I when it is you who should be punished. How dare you throw yourself at a woman like that?!" he hollered.

"That's not what happened! She wanted to be with me."

Garrow laughed. "Well aren't you a piece of work. You think that you can get everything you want in life just because you are rich. Well life isn't like that. You better get your head screwed on straight and wake up."

"Why you stupid farmer! How dare you talk to me like that?!"

"Boy! I understand now why people hate you, you are an arrogant prick who only thinks of himself and thinks that you can get away with anything. You better get on home before I whip you!"

Jasper growled. He pushed Eragon out of his way as he walked out of the alley. Katrina blocked Gwen from his view as he walked passed. At the entrance to the alley Jasper said, "You are all going to pay for this!" Then he disappeared.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Are you okay?" Eragon asked. He walked over to where Gwen was standing behind Katrina. Eragon took her in his arms and whispered into her ear, "You are going to be fine, I am here now."

His words did comfort her a little, but she was still in a state of shock that his words could only do so much. Her pride was devastated and will take a long time to re-establish. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks and onto Eragon's blood soaked shirt.

"Come, let us leave this place. Horst is expecting us." Garrow's lone voice echoed in the dark alley. Katrina and Roran left hand-in-hand while Eragon carried Gwen bridal style out of the alley and into the crowded streets of Carvahall. Garrow led the way to Horsts house parting the crowd as best as he could. Gwen was still so light that Eragons arms did not tire at all. When they neared Horst's house, Titania spotted them and ran towards then in a panic.

"What happened?!" She was on the verge of tears.

Garrow put his hand on her shoulder and looked deep into her eyes. "Everything will be explained at Horsts house. Please stay calm because everything is all right at the moment."

Titania glanced over at her daughter, and nodded. They walked the short distance to Horst's house finding him to be outside waiting for them. "There you are. What happened?"

"Let's get inside." Was all Garrow said. Horst nodded.

The house was warm and the smell of roast beef, potatoes, cabbage, and pie wafted around the house. His wife, Elain, was in the kitchen cooking dinner. She came out to greet them. "Welcome…Oh my! What happened?" she said as her eyes fell upon Eragon and Gwen. Her two sons, Albriech and Baldor came running into the room when they heard this.

"Whoa! Eragon you look awful!" Albriech said.

"Yeah what happened?" Baldor asked.

"Please, all will be explained here shortly, first let us take care of Gwen." Garrow said, frustrated.

Eragon placed Gwen on the couch in the living room. He sat down next to her wrapping his arms around her. Next to him sat Roran and on the other side of Gwen sat Katrina. Albriech and Baldor sat on the floor next to the fireplace while Garrow, Horst and Titania sat on a couch across from Eragon. Elain was in the kitchen, but strained her ears to hear the conversation. "So what did happen, Eragon?" asked Garrow.

"You are asking the wrong person, Roran knows the most, ask him."

"Really, is that so?"

"Yes," Roran continued, "Well, after you left with Eragon, I went off to find Katrina. I found her outside her fathers shop and from there we walked around the town catching up. After a while we wanted to, well, be alone, so we were going over to the alley. Now when we got there, we noticed that the alley was all ready occupied by none other than Japer and Gwen. I knew right away that she was in trouble and immediately told Katrina to find Eragon while I go to stop Jasper. I did. Soon Eragon found us and joined the fight. Katrina went over to comfort Gwen. There was a moment where I told Eragon to let him be and he listened, but Jasper pounced on Eragon starting another fight. That is where all the blood shed comes into play; that fight was brutal I tell you."

"It was." Eragon chimed in. "But I am not sorry for it; he got what he deserved."

"I agree. Anyways, Garrow managed to find us and stopped the fight. Then we came here."

"So wait, let me get this straight, what exactly did Jasper do? You never mentioned that part." Asked Titania, mortified already.

"He tried to rape her." Eragon said, his face turning red with anger.

The room was silent for a few seconds after he said this; they were in shock.

"That son of a bitch!" she hissed, sending the room to gasp at her sudden display of foul language.

"Aye," agreed Horst. "What I fear is what jasper is going to tell his parents. That boy has a knack for causing trouble and I hate how he continuously gets away with it. Not this time, this time he will face the consequences."

"Well he already has my wrath, which is not a good thing. Gwen can testify how you do not want to be on my bad side."

All Gwen could do was nod. She was still choked up from all that has happened and has not yet found her voice.

"Well, until his parents start banging on our door, let us get Gwen cleaned up and then have some dinner. That will do us all some good."

They all nodded in agreement. Titania took Gwen by the hand as if she were a little kid again and led her to the bathroom.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Titania laid out a wine colored dress on the bed for Gwen to wear to dinner. She bought the dress for her daughter earlier that day and hoped that she would like it. The dress had a gold colored trim along the collar, sleeves, and hem. A belt of the same gold color hooked at the waist. Gwen left the bathroom wearing nothing but a robe and paced over to the bed where she saw the dress. With a small gasp, she looked at her mother, "It's gorgeous!"

"I knew you would like it," she smiled brightly at her daughter. "Well, put it on. It's not made to just gape at you know."

Gwen grabbed the dress and walked briskly behind a screen in the corner of the room. Her undergarments lay on a chair next to her as she slipped out of her robe. The dress fir perfectly over her features making them stand out, but in a good way. She stepped out from behind the screen and looked in a mirror.

"You look stunning, my dear."

"Thank you," she sighed. She knew she looked beautiful, but she didn't feel beautiful. It was beauty, after all, that seduced Jasper into violating her, so why was she wearing this dress? Who was she trying to impress?

"What is it, Gwen?" her mother walked over to the mirror.

"Nothing, let's just go to dinner."

She walked passed her mother and out the door. Down the hall she walked until she came to the living room where she saw Eragon and the others, save for Horst and Elain who were busy putting food on the table in the background. She stood there while the men were in a discussion about how the traders seem tense compared to the previous year while Katrina sat on the couch staring off into the fire. It was Roran who noticed her presence first. He looked at her in awe as he has never seen her so beautiful before. Katrina nudged him in his side causing him to look away, reluctantly. Eragon wondered at his cousin's sudden disposition and turned around. If he had been drinking something he would have surely choked for he fell into complete shock at her beauty. He shook his head to recollect his thoughts. "You look beautiful," he held out his hand towards her.

Normally, his flattery would've caused her to blush, but not that night. She merely said her thanks and took hold of his hand, weakly. He walked her over to the table and sat her down in a chair. He then sat down next to her.

Katrina said her goodbye's and walked to the door with Roran. She had to leave before her father went looking for her. With a kiss, she left. Roran then walked over to the dining room to sit next to Gwen. Titania sat across from her daughter and on both on either side of her sat Albriech and Baldor. Garrow sat next to Eragon while Horst and Elain sat at the head of the table.

Throughout the dinner Gwen spoke sparingly as if she would be punished if she were to speak too much. When she did speak, it was just a quick comment and then she would be quiet and eat some more, hoping that no one would press her further. No one did, even though they were all concerned. Every once in a while, Eragon would glance at her and every time she would shy away.

Finally, they were done eating. Horst got up to help his wife clear the table. Eragon got up as well, but not to help clean up; he got up and turned to Gwen. "Come, I need to talk to you in private." Like before, he held out his hand for her to take.

She looked around at the others, who were all busy staring at Eragon, before she took his hand. He led her out of the dining room, across the living room, and down the hallway. He stopped before the master bedroom where they were out of sight and hearing range. He let got of Gwen's hand and crossed his arms about his chest. He then leaned against the wall.

Gwen looked at him wondering what he was doing and, most importantly, what he had to say. At first she thought that he was just going on improvisation, but as soon as he began to speak, she knew that he had this all planned out.

"Gwen," he began, "I understand that you had a difficult day today and I am not saying that you need to forget what happened this quickly, but you should not let it linger so long in your mind."

Gwen still had a look of shock on her face, but she also started to get a little angry. Who was he to tell her something like this? She said nothing as she let him continue, hoping that he would redeem himself for what he just said. To her relief, he did.

"Look, all I am trying to say is this: don't let Jasper get to you. If you do, then you are letting him win, and I cannot for the life of me, let him win." There was a hint of venom in his voice as he said this. Yet, his tone softened as he said, "I love you, Gwen, and it pains me to see you hurt like this."

Gwen held back tears as she grasped his point. "What do you want me to do?" she pleaded.

"What you gave me full blown before the incident, your trust." He unfolded his arms and started towards her. When he was in close proximity, Gwen threw herself into his arms. She listened to his heart beat and closed her eyes.

In her ear Eragon whispered, "Even though this is really sweet, there is still one more thing I have to do."

Gwen opened her eyes, stepped back, and looked at him. "What is it?"

"A test."

"A test of what?"

"To see if you really trust me."

"How are you going to do that?"

"Easy, just stand there and do nothing."

"All…" she was cut off as Eragon placed his index finger on her mouth signaling her to be quiet. She watched helplessly as Eragon stepped closer to her, placing his hands gently on both sides of her face. He leaned his face closer towards her. As he did so, he kept his eyes locked on hers. They were gentle, yet determined eyes that stared her down.

Gwen's heart pounded as she realized what he was going to do. She forced herself to keep looking into his eyes until their lips touched.

The instant their lips touched Gwen suddenly went weak in the knees and would've collapsed to the floor if Eragon hadn't let go of her face to catch her, their lips still together. Never has a kiss paralyzed her this way and left her dizzy. This kiss is the kiss that every girl dreams about; the kiss that is depicted in fairy tales. The kiss was filled with complete love, true love. Some kisses feel as if they last forever, but this kiss really did last a long time.

After the initial effects of the kiss, Gwen was able to respond by wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips a little harder against his. Like him, she placed every ounce of her love into her end of the kiss as a feeling of complete ecstasy filled her.

In previous kisses, Gwen has always felt his love for her, but never in this way. For some reason the kiss felt as if it were coming from a completely different person which was weird. The passion in the kiss made the kiss feel like magic, so much so that she swore she was dreaming the whole thing. Nevertheless, the kiss was real. What made that kiss different from the others was the fact that a man, not a boy, was kissing her.

In that moment Eragon had become a man as he grasped the true meaning of love. Love is more than just that warm, fuzzy feeling in the pit of your stomach, it is the feeling that you are safe. It is the feeling of being happy and enjoying life. Love promises that you will never be alone. All this Eragon was able to convey in a single kiss.

When the kiss ended, Eragon whispered, "You passed."

"How in the world did that prove I trust you?" she asked.

"What, you want another test?" Eragon leaned in like he was going to kiss her again, but before their lips could touch, he placed his hands on her waist and tickled her.

A fit of laughter escaped her mouth. After a few moments, Eragon stopped tickling her to kiss her. This was your average kiss, but it was still filled with love and devotion of a man. A few kisses in, their lips parted as their kiss deepened. Eragon twirled her around in between kisses causing Gwen to squeal in delight. With her cradled in his arms he said softly, "I love you."

"I love you too." She rested her head on his chest and listened to his heart beat just for her.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The night was still quite young when Horst and his company left the house for a night with the traders. Garrow gave Eragon, Gwen, and Roran a few coins each and told them to spend them however they wish. Roran left to reunite himself with Katrina while Eragon and Gwen walked hand-in-hand up and down the camp. Every once in a while Eragon would look around to make sure that Jasper wasn't nearby as Garrow's words rang in the back of his mind, "If you run into Jasper, promise me that you will simply walk away. We do not need another fight on our hands." His uncle's words were true, but he knew that if Jasper showed up, he would have the urge to beat him.

A local here and there would ask Eragon what happened as they took notice of his bruised face. Eragon's typical response has been along the lines of, "Jasper's uncontrolled stupidity led me to fight him."

The local would either inquire more information or simply walk away shaking their head. After about two hours of aimless talk and walking around, Gwen suggested that they should go dancing with gypsies.

"Since when do you dance?" Eragon asked, cocking his head to the side in curiosity.

"I just think that it would be fun, and besides, it'll give us something to do before the bonfire." The bonfire is a long standing tradition among the traders. This was where all the merchants and townsfolk would come together to tell stories.

"I'm sure it will be loads of fun, but you should know that I can't dance."

"Tisk, tisk. Of course you can dance. Everyone can dance, it's just that everyone has their own way of dancing."

"Fine, but my way of dancing is something I do not want to make public." He started to walk away only to have Gwen grab his hand. Eragon turned to look at her as she cam dangerously close to him and fluttered her eyelashes at him.

"I know that you are not saying no to me," she continued by placing her lips to his ear and whispered seductively, "I can make you dance with me." After, she started kissing his neck.

Eragon stood there paralyzed by her sexual innuendo; he has never seen this side of her before and never really put much thought that she was capable of acting like that because she always behaved as a proper girl around men, especially him. His heart pounded faster with each kiss as his hormones raged like a wildfire, uncontrolled and spreading throughout his body. Despite what his heart was telling him to do, which was to take advantage of the situation, he ended up listening to his brain. Ignoring his male instinct wasn't easy, she he was proud of himself when he pulled away from Gwen. Before she could respond, he said, "You're right, let's go dancing."

Within five minutes they were at the gypsies' camp and in a large group of people who were already dancing to an upbeat form of music. The dance steps consisted of a cross between a fast ballroom dance and an exotic dance which was why Eragon was a little nervous; at best she could perform a slow dance, but he was going to give this type of dancing a shot. He glanced at Gwen and saw that she was already dancing. The song played out as Eragon watched Gwen move. To his amazement, a slow song played but a violin sounded across the field. Eragon grabbed hold of Gwen's hand while he placed his other hand around her waist, and after, he pulled her closer to him and took a step to the left. She followed his lead, step after step, as the violin kept playing. He spun her around a few times before leading her into a dip when the song ended. A round of applause shattered the short silence. The only two hands that did not join in were Eragon and Gwen's as she was still locked in the dip. Eragon was staring into her soft, bright blue eyes as he started to lift her up. When she was fully erected, Eragon kissed her passionately on the lips.

"And you said that you can't dance?" Gwen said when the kiss ended. Eragon laughed a hearty laugh, Gwen joining in. They continued laughing even as an upbeat song played and Gwen danced in a crazy fashion by swinging her hips and waving her arms in the air. Eragon stood there for a bit watching what she was doing before he attempted to try it.

"See, you can dance if you put your mind to it." Gwen smiled and continued dancing with Eragon, each step filling them with more confidence. After about an hour of dancing, Eragon got really tired and needed a rest, so he offered to get some drinks.

"Sure, I am pretty thirsty." They headed over to a pavilion that was also a bar and sat down on a high stool.

"What'll it be?" Asked the bartender while he was cleaning out a mug.

Eragon gestured to Gwen to answer first. "Hmm…I guess I'll take a hot apple cider."

"Not much of a drinker, eh. One cider for you miss, and for you, young sir?"

"The same."

"Not you either, eh, a drinker that is."

"Well," Eragon started, "not tonight."

"All right, two ciders it is. Two coins please."

Eragon handed the man two coins before Gwen could even pull out one. As the bartender prepared their drinks Eragon said, "My treat."

"Thank you." Gwen smiled.

"No, it's nothing, really." Here the bartender handed them their drinks.

"Careful, them mugs are hot."

"Thanks," Eragon and Gwen said in unison.

Gwen took the first sip. "It's delicious."

The bartender overheard her compliment and said, "That there cider is the best brew in all of Alagaesia!"

"Is it now?"

"Sure is miss. That there cider was approved by the King himself."

"Wow, really? That's some accomplishment."

"How did you get him to taste it?" Eragon asked, unsure if the man was telling the truth.

"It's an interestin' story I tell you. You see, my father owned an apple orchard that has been passed down for generations. Over time my family has strived to make the best brew of apple cider, and soon, they did. It was written down passed down along with the orchard. They sold the cider to everyone they knew and boasted about how nor brew could be better. Well, word spread and soon a man came to the orchard who claimed that his family made the best brew. At this time, I was a small boy, but I do remember the man. He challenged my father to what he called a "Cider Challenge" and my father accepted. The terms were that they were to go to the King and have him decide on whose cider was the best. They did and the King was kind enough to drink their cider. In the end, he declared my families brew the best. The other man swallowed his pride and congratulated my father, and left, never to be seen again."

"Some story. If you don't mind me asking, why aren't you working at the orchard and, if the King did approve of your families cider, then why you don't post a sign saying so. I am sure many would drink the cider if they knew how wonderful it is."

"The orchard is in the hands of my two elder brothers. I didn't want to stay, so I left with the traders one day to sell the cider and such. 'Bout the sign idea, it's good, but you see it's a matter of family pride. I do not want to be like that man who boasted about his brew becoming an arrogant prick."

"I see. Well I am done with my drink and want to head over to the bonfire."

"Good idea," Gwen took the last sip of her cider and set it down. "Thanks for the drink and wonderful story."

"You're welcome, miss. Y'all have fun at the bonfire."

At the bonfire, the two sat down on a log not too far from where Brom was sitting. Brom was Carvahall's storyteller. Not much is known about his life except that he lives alone. Soon Brom began, "The Sands of time cannot be stopped…" he was giving a prelude before he began his initial tale. "Before your grandfather's father's were born, and yea, even before their father's, the Dragon Riders were formed…"


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"I love when Brom tells that story!" exclaimed Gwen on the way to Horst's house from the bonfire. "It just appeals to me and I do not know why. Do you like that story, Eragon?"

"Yes I do. Actually, it's my favorite."

"Mine too."

"Yeah, you just told me that."

"No, I didn't. I said that I love that story. You can love something without it being your favorite."

"True, but in this case it is."

"Yes, yes it is." Gwen smiled.

"Well, in that case and in my case, right?"

"Of course! You will always be my favorite man in the entire world!" She stopped walking and looked at him. "Nothing will ever change how I feel about you. I love you." She leaned in and kissed him. He kissed her back, placing his hands on her face. After, he embraced her in a hug and whispered in his ear.

"You are my favorite woman in the entire world, and I love you, too." With another kiss, they began again towards the house.

Jasper watched Gwen kiss Eragon as he stood in the shadow of a house. He was heading home as well but stopped when he saw them together, yet again. His jealousy raged deep within soul as he clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. In silence he vowed to himself that he will find a way to get rid of Eragon and claim Gwen for himself. A man suddenly bumped into him.

"Excuse me." The man was Brom.

"Hey, watch where you are going, old man." He retorted.

"Young man, do not talk to your elders that way. I said excuse me for it was an accident."

"Yeah, well make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Boy, I tried being nice, but I guess I am going to have to try another approach. You better watch yourself, men like you always get what they dish out, alone, and in your case, poor."

Anger flooded Jaspers face. "How dare you say such things to me?"

"You were asking for it."

Jasper grunted, even though he hated the old man, he seemed to think that he has good advice. A sly smile spread across his face as an idea crossed his mind. "If what you say is true, and I am not saying that it is or isn't, then how would a man like, oh I don't know, say Eragon, fare?"

"Eragon?" Jaspers strange question confused him, but he answered anyways. "Eragon will be twice the man you will ever be. He may be poor for the rest of his life, but he will live long and happy. Or, he could end up making a fortune and still live a long life full of joy."

Seeing as this is not what Jasper wanted to hear he said, "You are a senile old man and have lost your sense. I guess you are just good for telling stories at bonfires."

Brom scoffed. He was about to just leave when something crossed his mind that he felt that he needed to say. "I would wish you well, but I know that you will never be well." He left Jasper to think about what he said.

Jasper shook his head at the old man and walked away.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

At Horst's house Eragon and Gwen found they were all alone. Roran was still with Katrina , Elain and Titania were still at the bonfire talking the night away, and the other men were at Morn's Tavern drinking and telling bawdy jokes.

"Well, what do you want to do?" Eragon asked, eying Gwen cautiously. Many times he had to tell himself no to the temptations of taking advantage of Gwen, but most of those times consisted in a public place. Now that they were completely alone after a wonderful night out, he was unsure if he would be able to restrain himself against Gwen if she should try to tempt him. It's not that he didn't want to make love to her, it was just a question of morality; just because he could, doesn't mean he should.

"Do you know where Horst keeps his playing cards? I'm sure he wouldn't mind if we used them."

A feeling of relief swept over him. "I do. Let me go get them."

"Okay." Gwen sat on the floor next to the fireplace as Eragon walked down the hall and into the master bedroom. When he returned he had a deck of cards that we worn, but useable.

"What do you want to play?"

"Blackjack of course." Gwen was always good at that game since she was first introduced to it from her mother. Eragon dealt the first hand. "Hit," she said confidently. Eragon gave her another card. "Hit," she said again. Eragon handed her another card. "Stay."

Eragon didn't pick up any more cards. "Stay." Eragon put down his cards first. "Eighteen," he said as a jack and an 8 showed on the cards.

"That's great, but," she put her cards down, "twenty-one. I win." In her hand she had a 8, 7, 4, 2.

"Yeah, I can see that." Eragon dealt another round. Again Gwen won. They continued to play that game for a long time before Eragon began to get annoyed by her winnings.

"Come now, you won seven hands!"

"Seven, out of what, thirty?!"

"Do you want to play another game?" Gwen asked with a hint of sarcasm.

The fear of temptation swept over his mind; Gwen's sarcastic, and possibly seductive, mention of playing another game was unclear. He was in the mood for another card game, but was she? "No, we can still play Blackjack."

"You sure?" she asked although she knew he was lying.

"Yeah." He started to deal the cards.

"You know you have a really bad poker face."

Eragon stopped dealing the cards to look at her. "What?"

"It's okay, we can play another card game if you want."

"Fine." He picked up the cards he just dealt and shuffled the deck. "How did you know I was lying?"

"Easy, your eyes gave it away."

"Is that so?"

"What do you want to play?"

"How about Poker."

Gwen laughed. "Right, that'll work out very nicely with your bad poker face."

Eragon wasn't laughing at all. "Gwen, I'm not joking."

Gwen stopped laughing at this. She looked into his eyes and said, "Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not." Eragon tried to look and sound serious.

"Yes, you are." Gwen said absolutely serious.

"Damn it, yes, I am joking. Happy now?"

"No, I'm not happy."

"Come again?" Eragon noted the seriousness in her tone.

"I'm not happy because you are not happy."

She was right, he had let a stupid card game ruin the pleasantries of the evening. "At the moment, yes, I am not that happy, but that can easily change." Eragon picked up the deck of cards, got up from the floor, and walked back to the bedroom where he found them.

Gwen was lying on the couch when he returned. "Tired?" He asked.

"Only a little." She smiled and sat up to make room for him to sit next to her. "You seem happier."

"I am," he said sitting down.

"You know we could've played Go Fish, or War, or…" she was cut off when Eragon kissed her. In between kisses she would ramble off more card games. "Or Rummy. Euchre. Kings Corners. Speed."

At long last Eragon could not contain his laughter. "Gwen," he chuckled, "can't you just be quiet and kiss me?"

Gwen laughed as well. "I can do that." She kissed him while she crawled into his lap. As she did so, Eragon leaned back lying down on the couch, Gwen following his movement. She was on top of him, then, kissing him. It wasn't long before Eragon shifted his position so that he was simply next to her. Their kisses deepened as their lips parted. For a long time they lay their making out.

When they had settled down, Gwen lay in his arms, her head on his chest. She listened to his heart beat for a few minutes before asking him a question. "I've been thinking about what you said earlier about how I shouldn't let Jasper get to me. And that the only was to do that is by trusting you. Well, how did you know that was going to work?"

Eragon looked at her curiously. "I didn't know that it was going to work; all I knew is that I had to do something and that seemed to be the right thing."

"Oh. And the kiss, did you have any clue that that was going to paralyze me so?"

"No, although it didn't surprise me. I mean, that kiss was full of passion, love, and devotion. You know, I never thought I could ever love, let alone, kiss a woman like that, but seeing you so hurt brought out a side of me I never knew I had."

Gwen listened intently to what he was saying. "That kiss was truly the most powerful kiss we've ever had. It was like pure magic."

Eragon had a look of indifference on his face causing Gwen to panic a little. "Not that all the other kisses we have shared haven't felt that way, but that kiss really…" she trailed off as she noticed Eragon's blank stare. She bit her lip unsure of what to make of his expression.

Eragon ended the awkward silence when he began to laugh. Gwen joined in the merriment stopping only when he said, "Oh, Gwen, you are so adorable."

Her cheeks flushed scarlet which made Eragon chuckle. He ran his fingers through her long, dirty blonde hair, pulling her even closer. He held her tightly as he kissed her lips gently. Kissing back, Gwen ran her fingers up along his chest and around his neck. Eragon wiggled his nose against hers making Gwen giggle.

They fell asleep around 3:00 A.M. which was a little bit before the others got home. Roran was jealous when he saw them together on the couch. He knew that he was unable to be with Katrina like that. Even so, he was still happy that his cousin had found true love. Garrow and Titania looked at each other and smiled.

They watched as Gwen unconsciously snuggled closer onto Eragon's chest so that her head rested just below his chin, her hand resting on his far shoulder. His arms were around her in a sweet embrace. The lovers looked so serene in their intimate, yet innocent, sleep that the adults felt ashamed as they gazed upon them.

"Come, we should leave them be." Garrow whispered. They quickly dispersed for bed.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

It was a few days since the traders left Carvahall. Eragon sat down on his bed ready to go to sleep. With a yawn he blew out the candle and settled himself underneath the covers. He was on the verge of sleep when a loud squeak sounded across the room. Eragon ignored the sound thinking that he was hearing things. Soon after, the squeak sounded again. This time Eragon sat up and rubbed his eyes. He scanned his room carefully, but saw nothing unusual. With a groan he laid back down only to get up again when his shelf began to vibrate. Squinting in the darkness, he noticed the stone shaking and squeaking.

Alarmed, Eragon jumped up out of him bed and ran to the door, where he stopped. He turned to look as the stone fell off the shelf and onto the floor.

Crack! Crack! Crack! Eragon realized that the stone was actually an egg. The baby figure poked its head out of the shell and peered up at him. He stood still hoping that the creature did not notice him even though it was looking right at him. It struggled to get out of the shell, squeaking uncontrollably. With a small blast, the creature was free from its oval cage.

Eragon slowly bent down onto the floor to look at the creature more closely. At first he thought that it was some exotic bird, but as soon as he got a closer look he knew what it was. A dragon.

The dragon was about the length of his forearm. It was dark, but he was able to discern that it was a sapphire blue color which shone in the dull light. The dragon stumbled as it tried to walk, crashing down to the floor with a squeak. Eragon let out a giggle at the pitiful creature as he held out his hand towards it. The dragon, finally able to stand with out tumbling over, shied away from his hand for a moment. Then, with gaining confidence, it sniffed his hand and walked towards it.

A surge of excruciating pain filled Eragon as soon as the dragon touched his palm. He cried out as he rolled across the floor, wielding his wounded palm with his other hand. Long minutes passed before the pain subsided then disappeared. He looked at his hand and saw a strange mark where the dragon touched him. It was silver and in a shape of a lowercase "e", a dragon as the symbol. He looked from his hand to the dragon in wonder. It cocked its head and stared at him as if nothing happened.

Eragon rolled his eyes and stood up. He sat on his bed cradling his scarred hand. _What am I going to do about this scar? Most importantly, what am I going to do about this baby dragon? I can't leave it here in my room and I can't abandon it outside either._ He continued to think as the dragon settled down on the floor. Before he knew it the dragon was asleep, and so was he.

The cock crowed. Eragon suddenly woke up with a start. On the floor the dragon slept somberly. It awoke when he nudged it with his toe. It stared up at him, anxiously awaiting what he was gonna do next. Eragon got up and dressed. After, he grabbed a blanket from his closet that he never uses. He spread the blanket on the floor. The dragon paid attention to his actions. Opposite the dragon at the far side of the blanket Eragon sat. He then coaxed the dragon onto the blanket. When the dragon was in the middle of the blanket, he carefully covered the dragon like a human infant and picked it up. He carried it out of his room and into the kitchen. He set the creature down on the table where it stayed obediently. Eragon grabbed a large handful of beef jerky and some rope and placed it in a knapsack. He put the bag across his back and picked up the dragon again.

He carried the dragon past his secret clearing in the woods. When he thought they were far enough from the clearing he set the dragon down. He took of the knapsack as well. He grabbed a few pieces of jerky and gave it to the starving dragon. It ate quietly as Eragon made a little hut out of sticks for the dragon. "There, you can stay in here. I hope you will be warm enough." He took the rope and made a harness. He roped it gently over the creature's neck and tied the other end to a nearby tree. The rope was quite long so the dragon would be able to walk around without being strangled. "Well," he got up and looked at his handiwork, "be a good dragon. I have to go now before my Uncle notices I am gone. I will be back later, okay."

He talked to the dragon even if it didn't understand him. Eragon started to walk away. The dragon let out a mournful squeak causing Eragon to stop and turn around. "Don't worry, I'll be back, I promise." The creature nodded as if it suddenly understood him. Eragon walked home leaving the dragon in the woods.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Eragon performed his chores in a hurry. Both his uncle and cousin baffled at his unusual behavior; even when he is excited about seeing Gwen he doesn't act like that. Eragon didn't just do his chores in a hurry, no, he was also quite giddy as well.

"What's up with you?" Roran asked him, finally.

"I am excited to see Gwen is all."

"I know when you are lying, Eragon. This is one of those times."

"Huh?" Eragon acted confused when he was actually worried that Roran somehow knew about the dragon.

"Come on, fess up. I know you are hiding something from me." Roran wrapped his arm around his cousin making Eragon uncomfortable.

"I'm not hiding anything. I am just really happy today."

"Fine, don't tell me. But hear this, I will find out what your secret is. I always do." Unfortunately, that was true. Roran had a knack of finding out stuff that Eragon is hiding, which worried him.

"Whatever." Eragon didn't breathe until Roran left him.

Gwen and her mother arrived around noon where they accompanied Garrow for lunch. It was mild day for winter as the sun shone out from behind the clouds. Crows cawed in the distant, vacant fields as they searched for food scraps.

It was lightly snowing when lunch ended. Garrow and Titania washed the dishes as the teenagers went outside to have fun. Gwen grabbed a clump of snow and shaped it into a ball, after, she threw it at Eragon. She giggled as it hit him in the back of his head.

Eragon stood there stunned and soon after began to laugh. Before he was able to turn around to face Gwen, she ran up and jumped on his back. Roran rolled his eyes.

"Jeez, get a room you two," he joked.

"Very funny, Roran," said Gwen, still on Eragon's back.

"So, Eragon, do you feel like telling me what your secret is?"

Eragon's face went rigid. He let go of Gwen, setting her gently to the ground. Gwen looked at Roran and then to Eragon, curious. "What is he talking about, Eragon?"

"Gwen, all this morning Eragon has been acting strange. I asked his earlier what was going on and he refused to tell me. So, I am asking him again." Roran looked at his cousin. "Surely you will not deny your girlfriend the truth."

Eragon's face went red from anger. "Look, I don't want to talk about it, at least not now."

"So you admit that you have a secret."

Instead of answering him, Eragon tackled him to the snow covered ground. Gwen watched at they wrestled eachother. After a while Gwen got annoyed. "All right, that's enough." She grabbed hold of Eragon's coat and pulled him off Roran. As she did so she lost her balance and fell to the ground, Eragon falling with her. They landed next to eachother in a heap. Roran got up and brushed himself off. He was about to walk away when Eragon shouted, "It's not like you don't keep secrets, when are you going to tell Sloan that you are dating his daughter?"

Roran turned around and pointed his finger at his cousin, "That may be so, but at least I did not keep that secret from you." He stormed off into the house.

Gwen looked at Eragon, a blank stare on her face. Eragon sighed heavily and got up. He held out his hand. Gwen placed her hand in his as he helped her up. They brushed the dirt and snow off of themselves before they spoke.

"This is not how I wanted you to find out about my secret."

"I figured that much. What is your secret anyways? How long have you kept it?"

"Since last night. Come, it's in the woods."

"It?" Gwen followed Eragon into the woods and to their hiding spot. Here they stopped.

"You remember that stone I found in the Spine?"

"Of course, why do you ask?"

"Well, it wasn't a stone at all. It was an egg."

Gwen gasped. "Let me guess, it hatched last night?!"

"Yes."

"What kind of creature was in the egg? I mean the stone, er, egg, was huge."

"Believe it or not, it was a dragon."

Gwen gasped again. She followed him deeper into the woods until they came to the makeshift hut of sticks. The dragon was asleep in the structure but awoke as it heard their voices. It staggered out of the hut to greet them. "It's adorable!" she exclaimed. "Have you named it yet?"

"No, I haven't, I don't even know it's gender!"

Gwen giggled. "That might be a problem." She knelt down and held out her hand. "Come here, I won't hurt you."

Eragon grabbed her hand away before the dragon was able to approach it. "Be careful!"

"Eragon, what is it?"

"This is what happened to me when I first touched him, or her." He held out his right hand, palm up, to show her the scar on his hand.

"It did this to you?" she traced the scar with her finger. "Did it hurt?"

"Terribly. It doesn't hurt now, though."

"How are you going to keep this from Roran and Garrow? Or, are you gonna tell them?"

"Well, right now I just wanted to tell you. I guess I will have to tell them eventually, I mean I can't keep a dragon hidden for very long."

"Right." As she said this, the dragon rubbed up against her leg much like a cat. "Oh. Hi there. Well, nothing happened when it touched me, so I guess I can pet it."

"I guess so." Eragon was confused why it had hurt him and no one else.

"It really is cute." She pet it on it's head. The dragon squealed in delight. "Aww, I think it likes me."

The creature let Gwen pet her for a while before heading over to Eragon. Like Gwen, he pet the dragon. Soon after, he lifted it up to examine it more closely. The dragon struggled in his arms as it tried to get away; it didn't like Eragon looking her over.

"What are you doing now?" Gwen asked.

"Trying to find out what gender it is, but I can't find anything."

"Then that probably means that it is a girl."

"No, seriously, there's nothing. You take a look." He handed the dragon over to Gwen. This time, the dragon didn't struggle as it was being examined.

"You're right, there is nothing, but I can bet you that it is a girl."

"Really, and what makes you so sure?"

"Well, because she didn't make a fuss when I looked her over."

"Wait, are you telling me that it, or possibly she, knew what we were doing? It's an animal."

"She, is not just any animal. She is a dragon." The dragon seemed as if it were beaming with pride when she said this. Eragon took notice and mentioned it to Gwen.

"That doesn't surprise me. And, I have a feeling that the mark on your hand is more than it seems. Do you think Brom can help us with some answers?"

"No, we cannot tell anyone, especially Brom."

"I never said to tell him. All we have to do is ask him about the Dragon Riders as if we are doing a follow up from when the traders were here."

"Oh. Yeah that makes sense, I guess."

"Of course it makes sense, I suggested it."

"Oh, ok I get what you are saying now. I'll have you know that you are not always right."

Gwen looked at him and scoffed. "Boy, I am always right. Call it women's intuition."

"Women's intuition, eh." He secretly grabbed some snow and made a snowball and threw it at her. It hit her in the arm. "You didn't see that one coming, did you?!"

Gwen laughed and threw a snowball which hit him in the face. "No, but at least I have better aim."

Eragon wiped the snow off his face. After, he tackled Gwen, the dragon jumping off her lap. They rolled around in the snow laughing as the dragon stared at them. They stopped when Eragon was on top of Gwen. "I love you." He kissed her.

Gwen pushed him of her to get on top of him. "I love you more." She then kissed him. Here, the dragon let out a squeak, probably out of jealousy. They looked at the dragon in bewilderment. "Why do I have this feeling that she knows what we are doing?"

"Probably because she does." Gwen got off him and brushed herself off. Eragon sat up next to her. The dragon walked up to them and jumped in Eragon's lap.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Eragon knocked on the door. After, he waited a moment for the occupant of the house to open the door. When nothing stirred, he knocked again. When nothing happened this second time, Eragon opened the door just enough to sneak a peak. In the dark house a few candles were lit that stood on a large table strewn with many books. Some of the books were open while others were closed resting in a fair amount of dust. Eragon opened the door until it was fully opened and cautiously walked in, closing the door quickly behind him. He strained his eyes to see better in the darkness. In the fireplace a black cauldron sat with its contents nearly spilling over the side. He walked over to a table to look at the books hoping that one will catch his interest.

To his delight he found a book that had a picture of a dragon painted on its page. Unfortunately, Eragon was illiterate so he was unable to read the fancy script about the dragon. He thumbed through the pages looking at the pictures when a hand touched his shoulder and pushed him away from the book. "Get out!" Brom whispered venomously.

"What do you think you are doing barging into an old mans home?"

"I'm sorry. I just came to ask you a few questions. I knocked a few times but you never answered, so…"

"So you thought you'd just walk right on in and make yourself at home, eh.?"

"No, I thought that maybe you fell asleep and didn't hear me knock. But when I walked in you weren't here."

"That's because I was out on my own business. Now get out!" Brom was one who valued privacy in ones home.

"Wait, before I go I need to ask you about the dragons."

Brom was almost at the door to shove Eragon out when he suddenly stopped. "Dragons, eh? What do you want to know about dragons. They existed long before your time and are now a dying race. There, end of story."

"But I want to know more. Please tell me. I know you know more about them, I mean you told us the story about the Dragon Riders."

"So I did, but that story was for mere entertainment than fact, Eragon. Now get out! I don't want you causing me any more trouble."

"Brom, please, tell me more!"

"Why? Why do you of all people need to know about the dragons?"

Brom's questions left Eragon cornered. "I am very curious is all. Please, I really want to know more about them. If you don't tell me now I will keep coming back to bother you until you tell me. You have my word on that."

Brom admired the boy's spirit instead of getting angry. "Oh, all right. But heed my warning, the information I tell you is not something you should tell everyone about. There is a reason very few speak of dragons theses days. Come, let us talk over some tea."

~*~

Eragon met up with his cousin who was at Horst's getting a chisel repaired. On their way home Roran said a stranger was in Carvahall. After, he went on to say that he was a miller from Therinsford and that he offered him a job.

"What's his name?"

"Dempton."

"Are you going to take the job?" Eragon asked, a look of confusion on his face.

"Yes, I am." Roran seemed happy with his answer which confused Eragon even more.

"Why? You can't leave now, we need you on the farm! And, I know that money is hard to come by, but we always manage somehow."

"Eragon the money is for me."

"What? Why do you need the money?" He growled.

"I want to marry."

"Katrina?"

"Yes."

"Have you asked her?"

"Not yet, but come spring, when I can raise a house, I will."

"Does Garrow know of your intentions?"

"I am going to tell him tonight at dinner."

~*~

"Well, what did he tell you?" Gwen asked thrilled that Eragon was able to get something out of the old man.

"Surprisingly, a lot. He told me a little bit about how dragons grow, what they eat, and how they were groomed." Eragon wrapped his arm around Gwen's waist as they walked towards the woods were the baby dragon sat waiting for their return. He was doing all he could to keep his mind off of Roran leaving to enjoy the time he had with Gwen and later, his dragon.

"What about names, did he tell you some?"

"Aye, he did. I just hope that she will like one of them."

"Yeah, because if not then we might have to settle for a less sophisticated name, which will be pretty sad."

Together they walked into the woods. Soon they came to the makeshift dragon camp where the dragon greeted them. She jumped up and down as Eragon pulled some beef jerky out of his knapsack and fed it to her. With a smile he watched her eat. When she was finished she leapt into Eragon's lap. "Aren't you joyful today," he said laughing a little.

"She is, isn't she. All right, time for a name." She motioned for Eragon to start rambling off the names Brom mentioned.

"Right. Ok little one, are you Ophelia?" The dragon looked up at him as she was being addressed. At the mention of the name she simply shook her head in disapproval. "No, not Ophelia. Well what about Miremel?" The dragon shook its head again. "Ok, how about Lenora?" A low rumble sounded from the little dragon as if she were laughing. _Eragon._ Eragon looked at the dragon in bewilderment; he was unsure if he just hear the dragon say his name or if he was just imagining things. Yet, he said nothing of this as he continued to fumble around for a name. Each time he did so, the rumbling got louder and his named was called some more. Eragon was on the verge of giving up when a name suddenly came to him. "Are you Saphira?" The dragon hummed in approval. _Yes._


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Within the week Eragon watched as his cousin gathered up his belongings as he got ready to leave with Dempton. The only comfort he was able to find was when he was with Saphira or Gwen, without them he felt lonely and bored. At the weeks end Roran left with a hug.

"Don't be s down Eragon, I will be back soon enough, and hopefully, with a wife."

"Easier said than done." Eragon sighed.

"Take care of yourself and her." Roran ended his embrace on his cousin and turned his gaze to where Gwen stood.

"I will."

Roran walked over to Gwen and gave her a hug . "I am going to miss you."

"And I, you." She said solemnly.

"Goodbye, father." He hugged his father.

"Farewell, my son. Keep in mind what I told you the other night."

"I will."

"Goodbye, Titania." Like he did the others, he hugged her.

"Goodbye. Be careful, Therinsford is not like Carvahall."

"I understand."

With a wave of his hand, he left.

~*~

The winter passed slowly and dully for Eragon; he didn't realize how much his cousin meant to him until after he was gone. Even so, he enjoyed the time he spent with Gwen and his dragon. After his chores were all done he would make his way over to the woods and play with Saphira. The time they spent together brought them closer together. He learned that the creature was able to understand their language and could speak to him via telepathy. It was quite fun when she entered his mind with her thoughts. He told Gwen about it and soon Saphira would communicate with her too.

Saphira grew fast causing Eragon to make living arrangements for her and soon none at all. Her growth spurts worried Eragon because he knew that soon she would have to learn to fly and that would put her at risk of being seen. She already hunted for her food which made Eragon a little happier as he did not have to sneak food out of his house and because she ate so much that if he had to feed her they would probably run out of food doing so.

Eventually time passed and spring was on its way. Normally folk were excited about this time of year, but as talk of dark, evil creatures spread around Alagaesia people began to worry. The King reassured his citizens that there is no danger in the kingdom, and sent his soldiers to keep these creatures in line if they did have intentions to cause trouble, but even so people had their doubts. The rumors spread to Carvahall where Eragon learned from Horst of the creatures migration from city to city. He had no doubt that the King was looking for Saphira's egg, but had no idea what he should do about the situation. He hoped that he would get by unnoticed yet he could not escape from the nightmares that plagued his mind at night.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Gwen lit the lantern in her room. She was about to get ready for bed when he heard a distant pounding on the outside door. _Who in the world could that be at this time of night?_ She stayed in her room as she heard her mother answer the door. She laid down on her bed and tried to relax.

~*~

Titania sat in a rocking chair knitting when she heard a thudding knock at the door. "Coming," she answered, getting up and going to the door. She opened it a crack to a couple of soldiers, one a younger man whose face she was able to see clearly and another whose face was hidden under a hood. "Can I help you?"

The man whose face was covered with a cloak answered. "Yes, I think you can." As he said this he lifted the hood from his face to reveal himself.

A gasp escaped Titania's lips as she recognized the man. "What are you doing here?"

"To dispose of you by order of the King." He barged in along with the young man and slammed the door shut. He then grabbed hold of Titania's throat before she could retaliate With his other hand he grabbed a long knife and stabbed it through her stomach. With a muffled scream Titania began to lose consciousness.

~*~

With a start Gwen sat up as she heard her mother scream. She ran to her bedroom door and looked out down the hall. In the distance she watched, in horror, as a strange man stabbed her mother. "No!" She screamed at the top of her lungs when her mother collapsed to the ground, dead. The men turned their heads towards her.

The older man who killed Titania shouted to his companion, "Kill her!" The man rushed towards Gwen's bedroom.

Gwen quickly cowered back into her room and shut the door. She grabbed her oil lantern and threw it at the wooden door shattering the glass and igniting a fire. After, she raced to her window, opened it and jumped out into the cold night air. As soon as her feet touched the ground she heard the soldiers barge through her room. With a curse they ran through the fire and looked out the window. They spotted her running into the woods. "Quickly!" The older man jumped out of the window, his young companion following suit.

Gwen ran into the woods never bothering to look behind her. The guards followed her for as long as they could before they began to tire. Gwen, however, continued to push herself despite her tiredness; she was racing towards Garrows farm to warn Eragon. It wasn't long before she lost her pursuers.

The night was cold as ice causing Gwen to shiver even though she was in a black cloak that covered the length of her body. She grabbed it on her way out of her window knowing that she will need it. Her fingers grew numb and her feet sore as she trudged her way through the thick brush of the woods. A few times she tripped over a log or tree root. At one instance she nearly rolled her ankle. Gwen was not only physically tired, but mentally as well. In her mind she saw her mother's murder again and again. The more she pictured it the more sick she became.

Soon she was lost in her mind and began to pay less attention to her surroundings. Once more she tripped , but this time she fell down a steep ravine and into the creek. The freezing water numbed her entire body; she found breathing hard to do and swimming nearly impossible with her clothes weighing her down. Yet, somehow, she found the strength to swim across the creek. She grabbed hold of a tree root and pulled herself up and out of the water. On land once more, she rolled over, her face looking up at the cloud covered sky. No moon nor stars gave her hope of safe passage to the farm. In her heart she felt as if nature had turned itself against her as well.

Before she froze to death, she got up and pressed on towards the farm.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Gwen reached the farm about three hours after she fled her house. She walked cautiously through the fields and around the barn. Garrow's house was about a 100 feet away from where she stood and decided to run up to the porch. She was going to knock on the door when she suddenly had a better idea. The front door would be locked so instead of knocking and making a lot of noise she decided to just walk in through Eragon's window. She knew that it would not be locked because the window was broken and Garrow hasn't fixed it yet.

She ran around the wrap around porch accidentally tripping over a rocking chair. She fell hard on her knees scraping her palms. She also hurt her ankle so getting up was painful. She limped over to Eragon's window and opened it carefully. After, she crawled into the darkness.

~*~

Eragon lighted the candle in his room as he was getting ready for bed. He took off his shirt and breeches and sat on his bed wearing only his leggings. He laid down and pulled the covers over himself and stared at the ceiling, thinking. He thought about the rumors that reached Carvahall about the Kings soldiers and the creatures that were roaming around and hoped that Saphira will not be discovered. He thought about his options if they were discovered and shivered in fear. Eragon knew that he will have to tell Garrow about Saphira here very soon and so he thought about how he could explain it to him.

As sleep drifted over Eragon, he leaned over and blew out the candle. Soon he was asleep. In his dreams he saw himself running away from the Kings soldiers. He saw arrows being shot at the sky as Saphira flew overhead. The dream continued with him being captured and placed in a dungeon where he awaited his fate. "You cannot escape your fate," a cold voice cut through the darkness of the cell he was in. Then suddenly a loud crash filled his ears as Eragon woke up, his heart pounding wildly. Outside his room on the porch he heard someone run into the rocking chair. He reached under his pillow for his dagger. Ever since he heard about the rumor of the creatures he kept his dagger within reach.

He strained his ears and got up out of bed and walked next to his bedroom window. The moon and stars were covered by thick clouds so no light emancipated into his room from the outside. In fact, aside from a little glow of light from the outside, his room was so dark that he would not be able to see his hand even if it were inches from his face. All he could do was listen.

He listened as his window was being opened and a figure crawled through into his room. Eragon tightened the grip he had on his dagger as the figure, to which Eragon assumed was a man, looked about his room. Eragon quietly walked up to the intruder taking him by surprise. Eragon pushed the intruder up against his wall and placed the dagger up to the mans throat saying, "Who are you and what are you doing here?" He pressed the dagger tighter to the mans throat.

The intruder, who was Gwen, was in shock and therefore did not retaliate. She listened to what Eragon said and winced as the dagger penetrated her skin sending a trickle of blood down her throat. When he was done talking she found herself coughing. Her journey to Garrow's farm was long and harsh and caused her to become ill.

Gwen's mind was utterly conflicted at this point. She recently witnessed her mother's death and barely escaped for her own life. She traveled for hours to reach Garrow's farm for sanctuary and now suddenly she found herself in another delicate situation. She knew that if she could not control her coughing fit that Eragon would slit her throat in fear that she was one of the Kings soldiers who was refusing to cooperate. She knew that he had a right to be alert, but at the same time she wished that he would at least ask who barged in his room before he cornered him with a knife to his throat.

When her coughing subsided she was about to speak when Eragon started again. "Well, who the hell are you? Do you work for the King? Hmm. Answer me or I'll slit your throat!" The pressure from the dagger upon the intruders throat made the slit into a small cut.

Again Gwen winced in pain before she was finally able to answer in a raspy voice, "Eragon, it's me, Gwen."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Immediately Eragon dropped his dagger when he heard Gwen's voice. He let go of her and took several steps back in horror; he was disgusted with himself for threatening Gwen the way he did, even though he didn't know it was her. He watched in awe as she took off the hood that covered her face. For a minute they stood there gaping at eachother unsure of what to say. Eragon's heart pounded in his chest while his stomach churned. Finally, Eragon was able to muster enough courage to ask, "What are you doing here in the middle of the night?" He was about to ask a string of questions but stopped himself as he told her what badgered him at the moment, "I thought you were one of the King's men. I-I-I almost killed you!" His body trembled as he continued to think about how he hurt the woman he loved.

Gwen stood staring at Eragon as she placed one of her hands on her throat to stop the bleeding. Her body shook from being cold and tired. Another round of coughing escaped her mouth. When the coughing subsided she walked over to Eragon, tears in her eyes. Eragon backed away from her, afraid that if he touched her he would end up hurting her again. "Please, don't act like this. I need you." Tears flowed down her face as she began to violently sob. She gave up on the wound on her neck and cried into her hands. She was covered in dirt and grime and her hair was decorated with sticks, leaves, and mud. She was damp from falling in the creek two hours earlier; the freezing air did little to dry her off, it only managed to get her sick.

Her tantrum in the Jasper situation was nothing compared to the emotion Gwen expressed presently. Eragon's disposition quickly changed upon seeing her so vulnerable as he shook off his guilty thoughts and walked up to Gwen, embracing her in his warm arms. A chill ran down his spine as soon as his chest was exposed to her cold body. As suddenly as he touched her he let go saying, "Gwen, you're chilled to the bone!" In his fear that she was a soldier he failed to notice how cold her skin was compared to his. "Before you explain what is going on, let us get you into some warm, clean clothes." He fumbled around in the darkness for a match.

When he found one, he lit the candle and faced Gwen. For the first time since she arrived he was able to see her. For a second Eragon thought he was looking at a ghost for she was completely pale, the only color on her was from the mud that caked her face and clothes. He soaked in her bloodshot eyes from crying, tiredness, and sickness. Her frightening appearance made him shudder; he could not even fathom how much she recently endured that made her look so dead.

"Follow me." Eragon took hold of her hand and led her out of his room. He led her past the living room and down a hallway. He opened the guest bedroom door and walked in. He lighted the candle in this room and sat Gwen down on the bed. After, he opened a drawer to the dresser against the wall. Gwen and her mother used to spend the night every so often that they decided to leave a few articles of clothes there for their use instead of always having to haul over a trunk of clothing each time.

Eragon took out a white nightgown and underwear for Gwen. He set them on the bed next to her saying, "Get changed. I am going to wake Garrow. He needs to know that you are here."

With a sigh, Gwen nodded in approval. Eragon kissed her forehead before heading out of the room, closing the door behind him. Gwen took off the soiled clothing and put on the clothes Eragon laid out. She walked over to the dresser and found a hairbrush. She picked it up and attempted to comb out the tangles. As she did so, she pulled out the twigs and leaves that embedded themselves into her hair as if it were a nest. She stopped only when she heard a light tap at the door followed by, "Gwen, are you decent?"

"Yes, come in." Gwen set the brush down on the dresser as the two men entered the room.

Garrow, upon seeing her, gasped in fright. "Gwen, you look terrible! What happened?"

Gwen looked at him with sad eyes. "Let's sit by the fireplace. I am still quite cold." As if to emphasize her words, she sneezed three times in a row.

"Of course." Garrow headed out of the room.

Eragon grabbed the blanket from the bed and wrapped it around Gwen's slender body. "All right, let's go." He walked her over to the fireplace and sat her down on the couch. Garrow had a poker in his hand trying to revitalize the dying flame. Eragon got up and grabbed a couple of logs and placed them in the fire.

"Thank you, Eragon." When the fire was blazing, Garrow put down the poker and settled on the couch opposite Gwen and Eragon. "Now, tell me why you are here in the middle of the night and how you became so, well, dirty? Actually, before you tell me that, I want to know this: where is your mother?"

Gwen looked from Garrow to Eragon then down to the floor. Her body began to shake as she started to sob violently into her hands. A bad feeling swept over Eragon and Garrow as they watched her tremble. Eragon placed his arm around Gwen to try to calm her down, but to no avail. "Gwen, please, what happened?"

Gwen's sobbing simmered down enough for her to talk. She looked into Eragon's eyes and said ever so softly, "My mother is dead."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Shock captivated the two men as Gwen's words sank in. Eragon tried to be strong for Gwen, but try as he might, he shed a few tears. Garrow did not cry at the moment as his curiosity grew. "What happened? Was she sick?"

"Gwen wiped her face with her hand before responding. "No, she was murdered."

The men's previous shock was nothing compared to the emotion they expressed now; how could it be that Titania, a kind and hardworking woman, would be killed in the middle of the night and in the comfort of her home. A rising fear crept upon Eragon's stomach as his mind developed a hypothesis.

"What? Murdered? By who?" Garrow's mind was swarming with a million questions to ask Gwen.

"Two soldiers. One was quite young and the other an older man. The older looking one killed her; he stabbed her in the gut with a long knife. I don't know his motive, that's what scares me the most. I was in my room at the time and came out only when I heard my mom's scream."

"I see," he said as he processed her words.

Gwen lifted her head and looked Eragon in the eyes, "They were after me too. I led them into the woods were I eventually lost them."

"Gwen, I am so sorry." Eragon said, softly. Eragon wrapped his arms around her pulling her closer to him. She rested her head on his bare chest and listened to his heart beat. Eragon ran his fingers through her hair to keep them from shaking.

Garrow looked at Gwen with such pity. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he tried to imagine what it must've been like to witness a loved one murdered in front of your eyes and then after, having to flee for your own life. Gwen blushed a little when she saw him crying; this was her first time seeing a fully grown man cry. Also, she thought of Garrow as a father so seeing him so weak made her feel uncomfortable. As for Eragon, she expected him to cry because she knew that he looked up to Titania as a mother figure. There was also the fact that the incident might be related to Saphira, so she knew that he was feeling guilty for possibly endangering her life.

After a time, Garrow got a hold of himself and stood up. "You look very ill, Gwen. Let me make you some tea."

Gwen nodded in approval. Once he entered the kitchen, Eragon turned her head to face his. "We need to tell him about Saphira."

In a soft, cracked voice she said, "I know."

"I'm so sorry." His serious expression evaporated into a sea of mixed emotions as he thought about the possibility of Saphira being linked to Titania's unlawful death. Instead of crying, Eragon transformed his actions into a passionate kiss. He didn't care if she was cold and damp, he wanted to kiss her, and badly.

Gwen didn't respond to his first kiss, but halfway through the third Gwen realized that it was more that just to comfort her and that she had better start participating. She parted her lips allowing access for a deeper kiss, to which Eragon responded almost instantly. With his left hand he caressed her back as he pulled her onto his lap (at this point he was propped up against the arm rest). His right hand was placed at the back of her skull where he played with her hair.

Gwen was quite nervous as she crawled onto his lap; she wasn't completely in the mood for romance and her mind reeled to Garrow who was in close proximity. Yet as she pressed her body against his bare skin and their kissing intensified, Gwen lost all her senses as her confidence grew. She let her hands travel up the length of his muscled chest and up around his neck. A moan escaped her lips as Eragon's mouth found their way to her neck, opposite from her wound, and kissed it.

The whistling of the tea kettle disturbed the air around them causing them to gain conscious of the world around them. Eragon suddenly became aware that Gwen was practically fully on top of him as he stopped kissing her neck. He looked up at her face where her smile melted his heart. They got lost in each others eyes and would have continued staring if it wasn't for Garrow clearing his throat to acquire their attention.

Gwen looked up at the old man, completely embarrassed. He was staring down at her with curious eyes as he held her cup of hot tea. She quickly scrambled off Eragon and composed herself on the couch reaching out for the mug. She was thankful that the room was dim because it made her rosy cheeks hard to see. "Thank you." She said after she took a sip, the hot liquid soothing her throat.

"Of course." Garrow sat down on the couch opposite them once more.

Eragon still leaned against the arm rest too lazy to sit up. "Uncle, I, er, we need to tell you something." Right after the words rolled off his tongue, Eragon realized how the statement could be taken the wrong way as Garrows face turned into a horrified stare.

"It's about the stone I found in the Spine." Eragon relaxed when his uncle started breathing again. "Uncle, the stone is actually an egg."

Garrow wanted to say something but stopped when Eragon put up his hand. "It is a dragons egg. I know this because it hatched a few months ago in my room. She is Saphira and she lives on the outskirts of the Spine. Gwen and I raised her in secret. We wanted to tell you sooner, but never found the right time. I just hope that now is not too late."

Garrow heaved a heavy sigh. "Thank you for telling me that. It sheds more light onto the situation at hand."

"I know. Uncle, you know how much I love Gwen, so you can imagine how I could never forgive myself if Saphira was related in part to Titania's death. Now the soldiers are after Gwen." He stopped, on the verge of crying.

"Gwen, are you sure you do not have any more details to spare?" Garrow asked desperately.

Gwen took another sip of her tea before she set it aside. "Well, when I think really hard, I think I can recall a bit of the sparse conversation my mother had with the two soldiers. I believe she knew one of them, the older man. I vaguely remember her asking him what he was doing here. I didn't hear his response because it was muffled when she screamed. It was then I comprehended that something was terribly wrong."

"Wait, you think that your mother knew one of the men?"

"Yes…" Gwen suddenly gasped as a revelation hit her, "Oh my god!"

"What? What's going on?" Garrow asked, utterly confused.

When Gwen didn't answer, dumbfounded by her new discovery, he took over. "She thinks that the older soldier might be her father."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Gwen had been asleep for about a good 20 minutes before Eragon carried her to the guest room and laid her down upon the warm, soft, feathered bed. He covered her with numerous blankets to ensure that she would be warm and comfortable. When he finished, he leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. "I love you," he whispered before he got up and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Garrow was still sitting on the couch in the living room when Eragon reappeared. The old man turned his head to face his nephew causing Eragon to stop moving for a quick second. Eragon resumed his walking when Garrow sighed and looked into the fire. "What is on your mind?" asked Eragon, as he settled on the opposite his uncle.

"I was just think about you and your relationship with Gwen."

Eragon's visage paled and he became very uncomfortable as a pit formed in his stomach. Romance was not a subject that was broached much and he knew that his uncle was only bringing it up because of how close Gwen and him had been earlier that night. "What is it that fascinates you?" he finally asked, choosing how words cautiously.

"Well," he began, " I have seen the way that the two of you interact and can see how deep your love is for one another. I have not seen devotion like that between two people your age in my entire life. It's amazing that you are willing to perform such commitment towards a woman and you are not even considered a man among our society. I admire that; you are a man in my opinion."

A blush spread across Eragon's face as his uncles words penetrated his ears. "Thank you, but I have a feeling that you have more to say about our relationship."

"I do. Actually, I have a question. I do not mean this as a lecture, because like I said, you are a man and can make your own decisions, but I am very curious as to how far you have gotten with Gwen?"

Typically he would have turned scarlet at the mention of sex, but at that particular moment Eragon was not phased by his uncles question. "Ah, I see. Well I am very proud to say that we are still virgins and do not plan on changing that status anytime soon. Even so, I do have plans of asking for her hand in marriage, but obviously due to recent events, that will have to be on hold." He heaved a heavy sigh emphasizing his heavy heart.

"I understand. Gwen has faced numerous hardships before, but none of this caliber. She needs you now more than ever as a friend, a lover, and due to her illness, her doctor. The poor thing, it breaks my heart to see her in such despair. I know that it is significantly worse for you because your love runs deep, but I love her like a daughter, so I do feel doleful like you."

"Believe me, uncle, I know that you grieve, and I know Roran would as well if he were here to witness the situation. It's not fair. I just hope that I will have the strength to help her through all of this."

"Try not to worry about that, I am right along side with you."

"I know." He yawned.

"You are exhausted, you should go get some sleep. I can keep watch for the remainder of the night. Dawn is approaching and I am sure that as soon as the sun shines through the darkness, there will be a more, pleasant atmosphere in this house. There is something about a new day that cheers up a man. Anyways, Gwen would want you to sleep."

"If you insist. Besides, there is no possible way I will be able to sleep soundly, any abnormal disruption is bound to wake me up."

"Possibly. Now go to bed."

Eragon paced over to his bedroom and laid down on the bed. He stared at the ceiling as sleep drifted across his mind. Soon his eyes closed as he succumbed to sleep and the world of dreams.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Eragon suddenly awoke after a terrible nightmare weaved its way into his head. In his dream there were guards outside his bedroom door pounding and screaming at him to let them in by order of the King. His heart thudded in his chest and a cold sweat beaded his brow. He shook his head to recollect his thoughts and after, he jumped out of bed and got dressed. When he finished dressing, he left his bedroom and headed across the living room towards the guest room.

Sitting on the bed next to Gwen was Garrow. His visage was tired and he yawned frequently, yet despite his weakness, he was able to keep himself awake to care for Gwen. As soon as he registered that Eragon was in the room with him he quietly said, "She's getting worse."

Eragon swallowed past the lump in his throat to keep himself from crying as he kneeled next to the bed. His warm hands embraced her chilled fingers as she slept, coughing frequently. Her face was still quite pale and her breathing was slower than before. "She needs medicine. Let me go to town and talk to Gertrude, she will know what to do." He was about to stand up and leave when his uncle clasped his hand firmly.

" Wait! Why should you go? You should stay here with Gwen. I will go tot town and get the medicine."

"I realize what you are saying, but it has to be me who has to go. She is my responsibility now-I think of her as a wife rather than a girlfriend. Besides, you have been up all night and look as if you might fall asleep any second, what good will that do you in town? I know the situation at hand and will be able to explain to Gertrude the particulars without delving too deep. Plus if anything goes wrong, I have enough dexterity to get through it and head back home with the medicine."

"What if something should go wrong here rather than in town?" Garrow asked.

"The trapdoor in my room. If something is amiss send her down there with a few supplies and then address the issue as if nothing is wrong. I will not delay this errand, so I should not be gone for very long. Now please, let me go. Every second we stand here discussing Gwen may be dying."

His last sentence filled Eragon with determination and vigor. Before he left he kissed Gwen on her brow. As he did so, Gwen's eyes fluttered open; it was as if she were in a trance and his kiss brought her back to life. Her eyes were filled with pain and barely shone in the light, causing Eragon's heart to burst with sadness. "I am glad that you are awake. Unfortunately, I am leaving to get you some medicine. I should not be gone long. In the meantime, Garrow is here, so do not hesitate to call him if you need assistance or comfort."

Her facial expression hardened as his words sunk in. Her eyes dimly glistened with concern and fear sending chills down Eragon's spine. In a pitiful croak she said, "Please, don't leave me."

"Gwen, I have too. You need medicine and I am the only one able to retrieve it. I love you. I left Garrow some instructions in case something should go wrong in my absence." Her expression was still the same despite his attempt to comfort her. "I will not be gone long, I will ride Nya."

Gwen just shook her head, weakly, in approval contradicting her visage. Eragon took her hand and squeezed it. "I love you." After, he kissed her forehead and left. As soon as he was gone, a single tear rolled down her pale cheek.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Eragon saddled Nya and immediately left for town. The path seemed to drag on and on as his thoughts remained steadfast to his mission. Once he saw the thatched roof's of the houses, smoke coming from the chimneys, Eragon became a little more relaxed. Confused stares followed him through the small town as he led his horse towards Gertrude's. Nearly at her front porch, Eragon stopped Nya and jumped off tying the reigns to a post. After, he ran up the three steps and knocked on the door.

A tense moment elapsed as he waited on the porch for Gertrude to open up. For a split second he wondered what he would do if she was not at home. Before he could think of a solution, the door opened wide, Gertrude peering out. She was s simple woman who practiced in the art of herbs and medicine. "Eragon, how can I help you? "

"I need medicine for Gwen." he said out of breath.

"Please come in." she ushered him inside the warm home. Her house was small, but quaint but with the strong scent of herbs. Above their heads were numerous plants hanging from the ceiling making her house feel like a mini forest. They sat in some chairs in the living room. "Now that we are in private, please tell me what is wrong with Gwen? And, real quick, why are you here instead of her mother?"

Eragon looked at the woman while he racked his brain trying to find a way to tell her delicately, but finding none, he sighed and began. " Gwen is sick with a high fever, chills, cough, and sore throat. She is probably very sore and experiencing some headaches. Oh! Her breathing has slowed down as well."

Gertrude's eyes grew bigger as each symptom rolled off his tongue. When he finished talking, she sat quietly running through her list of medicine eliminating the ones that would not suffice. She found none that would cover all her symptoms, so she thought of another approach to the situation. "Those are a lot of symptoms all at one time. Where is her mother? Do you know how she got so sick?"

"Gertrude, I am sorry to have to be the bearer of bad news, but Gwen's mother is dead." He paused as he heard Gertrude's dramatic gasp, her eyes bulging from her head. Tears brimmed her eyes, but they did not fall.

"What happened? Was she severely ill as well?"

"Hate to say it, but I would have rather had Titania die from natural causes than from the brutal murder she received."

"Murder?" Now Gertrude let loose her tears. "Who would murder her?"

"Evil men. Gwen said that it was two of the King's soldiers who entered their home and killed her mother. They went after her as well, but she ran out her window and into the woods. It was at night, so the air was cold and damp. She lost her pursuers, which was good, but her grief clouded her mind causing her to lose focus and she tripped and fell into the creek!" he took a deep breath to calm himself down.

Gertrude was stock-still when he finished; she could not believe what he was saying, but his eyes were so honest that she knew that it was the truth. She forced herself to shake her head and clear her thoughts. "I am so sorry. I do not know what to say to that. I just do not understand why the King would want to harm them? She seems an honest woman."

"I am not sure if the King is even involved with her murder. Gwen mentioned that her mother recognized one of the men, so we think that it was her father that committed the crime."

If her mouth wasn't agape before, it sure was now. "Her father? Eragon, you do realize what you are saying?"

"I am quite aware. Anyways, do you have anything that can help Gwen? I hate to be rude, but every second we waste talking over events Gwen may be dying."

"You're right. I will be right back." She left the room scurrying for a room stuffed full of herbs and medicines.

Eragon took her absence as a time to pull himself together. He wiped the tears from his eyes and took a few deep breathes. _Everything will be all right_ he thought. Soon after, another though crossed his mind: _Saphira! When will I be able to see her again and tell her what happened? She needs to know that she might be in extreme danger as well._ As thought followed thought, Gertrude entered the room with a strange bottle in her hands.

"Eragon, are you going to be okay?" she inquired, gently.

Startled from his thoughts, Eragon turned to look at the woman. "I hope so. You have seen Gwen and I together, right?"

"Yes, I have."

"Then you know how much she means to me. I love her dearly and I'm not sure I could cope with life if something happened to her. I think I would go mad with grief." Gertrude was about to comment when he started again. "Hey, I want to tell you something that I never had the heart to tell my Uncle."

"I would be honored to hear what you have to say, and I hope you know that what we talked about will not leave this house."

"Thank you. I want to tell you that I had plans to propose to Gwen, today."

"Eragon, I am really sorry that things did not work out for you. But, as we well know, life is unpredictable. I will keep your family in my thoughts and pray that things will improve. I hope that those men are long gone, I'd hate to have them lurking around here causing trouble."

"Aye, but that is my biggest fear. I am afraid that they will not rest until they find Gwen and kill her. I am doing all I can to keep her safe, and I hope that I will succeed."

"Well, I will try to help as well. I will keep a sharp eye out for those men. If they show, I will distract their attention elsewhere, that is if I am able to talk to them before someone tells them that she might be at your farm."

"Thanks. Well, I need to go now." Normally he would have simply left, but this time he embraced her in a hug.

"You are much too kind. Now get." She shooed him off.

Eragon was at the door when suddenly a thought hit him. "Wait! I didn't pay for this." He reached for his pouch of money.

"Eragon," she said sharply, getting his attention, "you do not need to pay for the medicine. Just take it. Give her two small doses a day."

He nodded and said his thanks before heading out.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Eragon placed the bottle in a pouch on his pant buckle. He was in the process of untying Nya's reigns when a harsh yell polluted the air, "Farm Boy!." Eragon turned aroundto find Jasper walking towards him.

With a grunt Eragon asked, "What do you want?"

"I want to know about Gwen." He crossed his arms and pursed his lips.

"What do you mean?" Eragon tried to act confused, but gave up.

"There are men who are looking for her. I want to know why. What did you do? Gwen better be all right, or else." He uncrossed his arms and clenched his fists at his side, hunching his back.

Jasper's words paled Eragon. _They are here!_ "Jasper, thank you, but I need to go."

A confused look spread across Jasper's visage. "'Thank you.' What the hell do you mean by that?"  
"For warning me about the soldiers." Eragon turned and started to climb on Nya's back. A hand grabbed him and pulled him to the ground, dust swirling around him.

"Jasper?! What the...are you insane?" Jasper had his foot firmly planted on his chest, pinning him to the ground.

"Soldiers, I never mentioned soldiers. What is going on Eragon?" He stepped harder on his chest making him wince in pain.

_What?! Are there other men looking for Gwen too?_ Eragon was utterly confused but dismissed the thought momentarily so that he could focus on facing the situation at hand. He grabbed Jaspers leg and pulled him down next to him. Eragon scrambled to get up before Jasper, but failed. Jasper was up lightening quick, his hands reaching for Eragon's neck. Jasper missed. Eragon stood up and kicked Jasper in his side. In an attempt to kick him again, Jasper grabbed his leg sending him to the ground again. Jasper sat on Eragon and punched him in his face. Blood oozed from Eragon's nose. Eragon kneed Jasper in the groin sanding him flailing to the ground next to him clutching the wounded area. Eragon stood up once more, panting.

"Look, I can't keep fighting you like this. You are wasting my time. I need to go, if you love Gwen let her go and let me take care of her." Jasper gridded his teeth in disapproval, still holding his private area. Eragon hopped up on Nya and galloped away leaving Jasper streaming curses behind him.

Eragon rode hard trying to make p for lost time. _Please let everything be all right_. Suddenly Saphira's thoughts rammed their way into his head.

_ Eragon! They're after you! _ As suddenly as she penetrated his mind, Saphira flew above him. She landed a ways in front of him spooking Nya. The horse whinnied and lifted her front legs. Eragon lost his balance and fell on the horse. Nya galloped wildly away into the woods surrounding the dirt road. Saphira flew into the air once more swooping down to grab Eragon with her long, sharp talons. Eragon screamed as they rose higher into the air.

"Saphira, what are you doing, I need to warn Gwen and my Uncle! Put me down!"

_Eragon, I can't do that, they'll kill you!_

Eragons stomach churned and not from the height either. His mind pictured the soldiers pilliging his childhood home murdering his Uncle and his lover. His anger rose and he cursed. Using his mind to communicate he said, _Saphira if anything happens to them, how could I ever forgive you?! _

_ Eragon, you cannot fight them, they are not the King's soldiers. They are some other foul creature and they are trained to kill. You are not strong enough to fight them. I am sorry Little One._

_ Hot t_ears rolled down his cheeks as realization set in. He knew she was right, but is was hard for him to accept her answer. She knew that he would rather stay and fight to the death over his loved ones than run away like a coward.

Saphira sensed his emotions and tried to comfort him. He refused to listen to her and she finally left him alone so sulk. She flew them to the foothills of the Spine and landed. Eragon stormed off to think. _Don't wander too far Little One._

Eragon glanced at the dragon and nodded, still furious and walked away.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

An hour passed and Eragon became more and more restless. "Saphira, when are we going back?"

"_Soon. Eragon, understand that I am doing this to protect you. You are no longer a farm boy, you are a rider now. With that, you need to stay alive to fulfill your duty."_

Eragon scowled, "My duty is to my family!"

_"You have a duty now to Alagaesia as well._" Saphira looked at him with her large orb-like eyes.

"I never asked for any of this. I don't want to be a rider." He punched a tree scraping the skin off his knuckles. He ignored the pain.

_"Nonetheless, you were chosen. In time, I think you will enjoy being a rider."_

"How can I if I lose all those I love?" he pleaded rather than ask.

"_You do not love me?_" Saphira asked, hurt.

Eragon looked at the dragon, his dragon, Saphira. She was majestic looking as her scaled glimmered in the sunlight nearly blinding him. As he looked at her, he knew that he could love her, after all she did save him, but still he was mad at her. "I do love you, Saphira, it's just that my Uncle Garrow and Gwen are all I have left since my cousin left. I tell you about them all the time, and you have met Gwen on numerous occasions, so you know how I feel about them. I can't abandon them. I need the joy of human love, that's what I meant. All I ever wanted was to have a wife and raise a family. Now, right when I was finally able to make a commitment to Gwen, all of this happens." Tears brimmed his eyes. He quickly wiped them away to hide his emotions. It didn't matter because Saphira could already sense how he was feeling. In reality he felt weak for crying and he needed to be strong for Gwen.

Saphira lowered her head to meet his gaze at his level. _"I am sorry, Little One. In my rush to save you I failed to realize how you felt. Please forgive me. I never intended to hurt you, I just wanted to keep you from harm. You are everything to me. Gwen, I am partial to, but that was because she was your friend. I am still new to human mating, well, human nature in general, but remember, I am still young. Don't let my size fool you. Dragons never stop growing. Years from now, I will look like a giant sapphire mountain."_

Eragon took a deep breath. "Apology accepted. Now, can you explain to me how you know all of this, the nature of your kind and of the riders?"

"_The knowledge that we dragons possess is in our veins, it flows through us along with the magic. You have magic in your blood now, and like me, you are also immortal. You have powers, Eragon. Powers that you need to acknowledge."_

Eragon was speechless for a moment. "Immortal…no that can't be…can it?"

"_It's the way things are."_ "And, what powers do you speak of?" He was very curious now.

"_Magic. With the right words you can cast spells."_

"What words, do you know any?"

"_I'm afraid I don't. You will need to learn a whole different language for that called the Ancient Language."_

"The Ancient Language? I have never heard of such a language. Where does it originate?"

"_It's said to be the native language of the land. It's the language the elves speak."_

"Elves, they exist?!"

"_Aye. And dwarfs and many other creatures that are said to be mythical."_

"Fantastic. What else do you know?"

"_Well, as we already found out, a dragon and its rider can communicate with their thoughts and we can sense each others emotions. When we are strong enough we can even see through each others eyes. Of course, that requires the use of magic."_

"Amazing. So we are intimately linked?"

"_Aye."_

"So, going back to the immortality concept, how did the other riders cope with it? Do you know a little bit about that?" He tried to ask innocently, but he knew that she knew that he was hinting at his relationship with Gwen, a pure mortal.

"_Most took either an elfish wife or took multiple human wives. It all depended on the rider."_

'I see." he sighed heavily.

"_Look, try not to dwell on it, all right. You never know what the future might hold."_

"I will try."

"_That's all I am asking for."_

"Now, how is it that you knew that I was in danger?"

"_I was flying and spotted strange creature lurking around. With recent events with Gwen, I pulled everything together and concluded that you were not safe. They were headed to your farm."_

"Oh. Well do you think that if they were looking for me, that they might leave my family alone?"

"_Eragon, please try to understand this, you are my rider and it's my duty and my nature to protect you and only you. Of course I cared about your family, but you were my main concern. I hope that your family is all right, for your sake, but I cannot guarantee."_

"Well then, on that note, can we please leave now?"

"_I guess enough time has elapsed. We can go."_

"Thanks." Eragon climbed up on Saphira's back.

"_Be careful, Eragon, my scaled are razor sharp and might penetrate your clothing. You can ride up top for now, but if you are in pain, let me know and I will carry you in my talons. Later, we will have to make a saddle."_

"All right, I'll let you know."

Off they went into the sky. Eragon tried to enjoy the flight, but he could not stop his mind from thinking horrible thoughts. _Please hang in there, Gwen. I am coming for you, you are not alone. I love you._


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

**Saphira landed near the farm. Eragon, who suffered minor injuries from the flight, jumped off the dragon. He ran painfully to his house where the door was smashed open, splinters of wood scattering the floor. He entered frantically, scanning through the dim, dusty, room. On a heap on the floor in the living room, his Uncle Garrow lay dead. Eragon rushed to his side to discover the horrible truth. Eragon choked on his tears as he tried the figure out the cause of death. There were no puncture wounds, but his skin glowed with a sickly hue and his clothes were singed. An acrid smell rose from the corpse that was quite unnatural. **_**What did they do to you**_**.**

**Eragon reluctantly left his uncle to search for Gwen He found her under the trap door in his room. He was glad the his uncle heeded his instructions for it saved Gwen's life. The monsters that murdered his uncle never knew about the secret hiding place in the floor. Gwen's condition remained unchanged which calmed Eragon as it meant that she did not get worse. "Gwen are you all right?" Eragon asked as he climbed down the ladder.**

"**Eragon, you're here. I thought you were never going to show up." Gwen's voice sounded parched and sore.**

"**I'm here now and you are safe. Come, we need to get out of here." Gwen got up and followed Eragon out from the underground. She continued to follow him until she saw Garrow on the floor. At the sight, Gwen knelt down on her knees, cupping her face in her hands, and wept. Eragon whirled around when he noticed that Gwen was not following him. Sharing her grief, he did not rush her to get up. Instead, he knelt down in front of her and embraced her in his arms. She soaked his shirt with her salty tears as he rocked her from side to side in comfort. Within two days, they lost both their parent figures. It was a loss that they will have to endure together as they continued on with their lives. For a few minutes Gwen cried until she could cry no more. Eragon released her from his embrace so that she could wipe her eyes with the cuff of her nightgown sleeve. At that moment, Eragon realized that she was not properly dressed. "Listen to me, Gwen, I need to salvage a few things and then we have to leave with Saphira." Eragon stood up and offered out his hand for Gwen. He helped her to her feet and as soon as she was on her feet, she wrapped Eragon in a hug.**

"**I love you, Eragon." she whispered into his chest. She snuggled closer.**

**Eragon embraced her and kissed her on her lips despite her sickness. "I love you too." Their brief moment away from grief was shattered when a figure crept up behind Eragon wielding a sword. Gwen barely caught a glimpse of the man before he raise his arm to strike. Gwen screamed. **

**Eragon turned around in time to grab the man's wrist and pressed him against the wall. The man, a nicely dressed soldier, kneed Eragon in the stomach, sending him to the ground. Gwen ran at the soldier and jumped him from the side before he could attack Eragon again. **

"**Get off me you cunt!" spat the man as he threw her off of him onto the floor. Her head hit the side of a table. Blood trickled down her face as she watched Eragon duck from the blade and kick the soldier in the gut. Then, Eragon kicked the man in his face breaking his nose as he fell on his knees in pain. Eragon went for the sword, but was too last as the soldier swung wildly slicing open Eragon's side. Eragon yelped in pain, cupping his wound with his hand to try to stop the bleeding. **

**Gwen screamed again. She got up and launched herself at the soldier grabbing his hair instead. She pulled violently forcing the man to drop his sword in order to pry her off of him. On the floor, Gwen kicked the sword away from the man's reach and after, rolled out of the way as he came barreling after her. For a split second Gwen was able to touch the hilt of the sword, but before she could grasp it fully, the soldier grabbed her foot and pulled her away. The man was on top of her and ready to strike her when Eragon pushed him off and tacked him to the ground. They struggled for the upper hand until the soldier's hands found their way on Eragon's throat. Eragon gasped for air, as the man squeezed. As he squeezed, the man bashed Eragon's head against the floor a few times. Soon, Eragon started to lose consciousness. But before he entered the realm of darkness, a sound of piercing flesh filled the room. The soldier groaned in pain as his eyes filmed over. Within seconds he was on the ground, a sword protruding from his back. Eragon looked around and found Gwen gaping at the dead soldier, her hands shaking.**


	31. Chapter 31

Gwen crawled over to where Eragon lay, cupping his side with his hands where his wound still bled. Marks of black and blue in the shape of fingers began to form on is neck where the soldier tried to strangle him. "Eragon, are you alright?" It was a rhetorical question and was meant more as, "How badly are you hurt?" At his side, she removed his hands so that she could look over his wound herself. To her dismay, the cut was deep and the crimson blood soaked everything it touched. "I need to find something to wrap the wound. Keep pressure on it until I get back. You are going to be okay."

Eragon nodded weakly, his face pale from blood loss. Gwen left him, reluctantly, in search of something to use. In the bathroom she was happy to find a roll of gauze. Living on a farm meant injuries, so Garrow always liked to keep some first aid stuff on hand. She also took a pair of scissors and a few rags before heading back to Eragon. She soaked up as much blood as she could before she began to wrap him up. With a knot, she tied the gauze and wiped her blood stained hands with another rag. She then gently lifted Eragon to his feet. "Now, let's get you another shirt." They walked to him room where they found a gently used white shirt much like the one he was wearing. He changed in front of Gwen. "There, now just be careful. Try not to do anything very strenuous."

"Yes, Dr. Gwen," he chuckled as color slowly returned to his cheeks. Gwen smiled glad that he was doing better. They stood there for a few moments looking at each other before Eragon said, "Well, let's see what we can salvage. Looks like we should find you something decent to wear too." He pointed at her soiled nightgown.

Gwen forgot that she was still wearing the gown. It was full of dirt, blood, and was ripped in several places. Instead of falling gracefully to the floor, it stuck to her skin making her feel disgusting. Together they walked into the guest bedroom where they found her a red dress to wear and a pair of shoes. Eragon left her to change while he searched for some food and other supplies. He was unsure where they would go, but he knew that they could not linger in Carvahall much longer. As he looked around the ruble, he heard a voice in his head. _"Eragon! What is going on? Are you all right? Talk to me!"_ It took him a second to process the voice, then suddenly he remembered Saphira.

"_Saphira, I am fine at the moment. I will explain things as soon as I salvage a few things. I am with Gwen." _ He grabbed a rucksack from his room and filled it with some bread, cheese, jerky, and jam. He grabbed some extra clothes for warmth as well as a blanket. Gwen joined him and made sure that he brought the left over gauze and the scissors.

"_Eragon, someone is here. It's an old man and he brought horses with him. Shall I tear him to bits?" _

An old man? "_No, wait a minute. Let me see who he is first."_

_ "As you wish." _She growled.

"Gwen, Saphira says there is an old man with horses outside. Come, let's see who this visitor is. She didn't say he was a soldier so it should be safe, I hope." Eragon placed the sack on his back, grabbed Gwen's hand, and walked towards the door. Outside the sky was clouded over and the air was cool. "Looks like it wants to rain." He was not happy with that fact. Neither of them were in good conditional to go gallivanting off into the wilderness in the rain. He gazed around the front of his house until his eyes landed on a cloaked figure on a horse. Tied behind the horse he was sitting on was another horse. The man must have seen them standing there for he got off his horse and began to walk towards them. Eragon let go of Gwen's hand to unsheathe a sword he stole from the dead soldier. "Who are you?"

The man stopped and lifted up his hood. The man had bright white hair and his face was worn with age. Eragon recognized the man as the village story teller Brom. "I came here to help you," said Brom in a coaxing tone as if he were trying to stay a stray dog from attacking him.

"Who told you we needed help?" Eragon stared at the man.

"I saw smoke rising in the direction of your farm, but since your house is still here, I have to assume it was Gwen's house." He looked at the pair standing helpless by the door and wondered if they would believe him.

"Aye, it was Gwen's house. But it burned down yesterday, not today. Your alibi does not match up with current events."

"You are a clever one, Eragon, but there is still a vague plume of smoke rising above the tree line. Brom pointed and Eragon looked behind him to see what the old man was talking about. And lo and behold, there was smoke still rising.

Eragon grumbled and sheathed his sword to show that he will not harm the old man. "Well what do you want after you can see that we are fine?"

"Where do you plan on going? You don't think that wandering in the woods is a good idea do you? Not when the Ra'zac are still at large."

Eragon was caught off guard. "Ra'zac, what are they? How do you know all this?"

"If you permit me to enter your home, I can determine whether or not the Ra'zac have been here." Brom said, ignoring Eragon's question.

"Well, all right, but be quick." Eragon led Brom inside for a look-see. Brom took an immediate interest in Garrow's corpse. He lifted the sheet that Eragon placed on top to discover all that he needed to know.

"The Ra'zac have been here. Your uncle was killed with seither oil. It's rare and fatal. Come, we must leave. If my calculations are correct, the Ra'zac will be back here before nightfall which does not give us a lot of time to get them off our tail."

"Leave, yes, but where to?" Gwen finally chimed in.

"Away from here that's for sure. Come, ready your horse for Gwen. You can use the extra one I brought." The three of them left the farm for the great unknown. Eragon was puzzled by Brom's intentions but questioned him not as they had more pressing matters to attend to.

"Brom, you seem to know a lot about what is going on, but I wonder, do you know my secret?"

Brom looked at Eragon, startled. "What secret?"

Eragon sighed. "I hope I am not in the wrong to tell you this dangerous information, but you seem trustworthy enough. And plus, we will be traveling together so you will find out soon enough." Eragon raised his right hand where the Gedwey Ignasia shone brightly on his palm. "I am a Dragon Rider."


	32. Chapter 32

Eragon was more shocked than Brom when the man showed no surprised emotion after he revealed his secret. He stared at him wondering what he was thinking for his blank expression gave nothing away. Eragon quickly dismissed his thoughts when a raindrop splattered on his hand. He cocked his head towards the cloud covered sky and scowled as the rain started to fall at a steady pace. "Great, what are we going to do now? We are in no condition to be in this weather with no protection."

Brom sighed and rolled his eyes. "Call you dragon..."

"Saphira is her name. Hoe will she find us?" Asked Eragon. "There are many clearings in the woods, how will she know which one we reside in?"

"She will be able to sense you, Eragon, plus you can send her a mental image of the location." Brom tied his horse to a tree.

"I can do that? That's neat, makes things easier." He sat down on a log next to Gwen.

"There are many things that you can do, it will just take you some time to learn it." Brom took out his pack and rummaged through taking out some jerky and cheese. He passed them around to his companions.

Eragon contacted Saphira and sent her a mental image. It must have worked because her response was positive and soon enough she landed near their camp. She walked over to where Eragon sat and lied down in the mud. _How are you Little One? That man isn't bothering you is he?_

_ No, he is not bothering us. I wish this rain would stop, I am tired and cold, and still hungry. _

_ And grouchy_ Saphira commented.

Eragon gave Saphira a stern look. _Yes, and grouchy. _

A low rumble erupted from the sapphire dragon as she laughed.

Gwen glanced over at the dragon then at Eragon wondering what they were talking about. Brom took a last bite from the dried meat and settled down on another fallen log adjacent the one Eragon and Gwen were sitting on. "Long day we've had wasn't it. This rain is dreadful, you are right about that, Eragon."

Gwen coughed. Instinctively, Eragon grabbed the bottle from a pouch he had wrapped around his waist. "Here, drink a little of this. It's the medicine I got from Gertrude."

Gwen took the bottle from Eragon and drank a small dose.

"Gwen is sick?" Brom asked, curiously.

"Yes, she's been sick since the night her mother was murdered." Eragon decided that it would be ok to tell Brom the utter truth. The words were like bile in his mouth as he told the old man what happened. Gwen got up and grabbed a blanket from Eragon's pack and sat down again, this time closer to Eragon. When Eragon finished with the gruesome details, Brom looked pale.

"The King sent soldiers to murder Titania, you say. That's not good, especially when the Ra'zac are at large too. Of course the Ra'zac are looking for you, Eragon, but what would the King want with Titania?" Brom looked quite puzzled as he tried to rack his brain for a solution.

"Well," Gwen started, "I have little evidence, but I think that the attack had to do with my father, whoever he is. My mother mentioned that she recognized one of the men, so do you think he might be my dad? If not, I have no idea why my mother would know the soldier."

Brom sighed and said, "I doubt the soldier is your father, but I bet he works for him. If your father is after you, then we should really think why he suddenly wants you dead. How come he was dormant all these years, if the attacker was sent by your father, and then suddenly he wants to kill you. Something doesn't add up. What worries me is the possibility that your mother may have been a part of something far greater than we ever imagined. Maybe she had dealings with the Varden."

"Who are the Varden?" Eragon asked, unsure where Brom was getting at.

"The Varden are a rebel group who oppose King Galbatorix. They have a stronghold hidden within the Boer Mountains. I know because I have been there many times years ago."  
"Would it be possible to head to the Varden now? You remember how to get there, right?" Eragon had a twang of hope as he thought of a place where they could go and be safe from these so called Ra'zac and the kings men.

"Yeah, can we go to the Varden? It would be better if we had a destination instead of roaming around in the wild like a beast. And, what do you mean when you said that my mother might have had dealings with the Varden?" Gwen said, coughing afterward. She received a concerned glace from Eragon.

"I was planning on pursuing the Ra'zac. They might already have word of your existence. If they do, it would be best to hunt them down before they reach their master, who I fear might be the King. There are many people who were a part of the Varden, I have a feeling that your mother was one of them." Brom shifted on the log for a more comfortable position.

"Oh, well can't we maybe do both? Pursue the Ra'zac then head to the Varden." Eragon placed his arm around Gwen when he heard her shiver. The night was getting cold and the rain still continued.

"You make it sound as if it were easy, Eragon. It much more complicated than that. If we even manage to catch up to the Ra'zac, if they are even ahead of us, they are hard to kill. They are trained to kill. You would fare no better than your uncle if you attacked them. You need training first, with a sword."

Eragon became furious, "I am not a child, I know how to fight with a sword. I have trained with my cousin."

"Is that so," mocked Brom. "Fine." Brom stood up and searched for two wooden stave's. Once he found them, he handed one to Eragon. "Right, let's see these skills of yours."

_Careful Eragon, Brom is tougher than you think._ Saphira said.

"This won't be fair to you old man." Eragon got up from the log and walked over to Brom standing at least four feet away from him.

"Humor me." Brom swung his stave at Eragon and hit him in the leg. "Oh dear, I see these skills of yours."

Eragon refused to be mocked like that, so he shifted his feet for better balance and lunged, missing Brom. Brom swung and swatted Eragon's leg once more. Eragon retreated before he was hit again and blocked the blow. "Good." Brom said. They continued to fight until Eragon acquired a collection of bruises and slipped and fell in the mud. "We can stop now. My point was proven."

Eragon got up, trying not to slip again, and grumbled. He walked, embarrassed, back to his seat next to Gwen. She said nothing not wanting to push his buttons. _I told you so. _Saphira's booming laugh filled the camp.

_Shut up!_ Out loud he said, "Let's just get ready for bed. I'm tired."

They cordially listened to his request and soon they fell asleep, the rain drizzling down upon them.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Gwen's coughing awoke the camp. Her forehead was beaded with sweat as her fever burned within her. She was sitting up as she coughed violently concerning her fellow companions. Eragon grabbed the medicine bottle and handed it to Gwen, but she didn't grab it from him, rather, she quickly stood up and ran behind a tree where they heard her vomit. Brom shook his head at Eragon, his eyes full of sadness, "She isn't getting any better."

The words where poison to his ears, but they were true. He got up and walked over to the tree where Gwen still stood behind sobbing. She emerged slowly when she heard him approach and took the medicine bottle. The medicine left a bitter taste in her mouth, but she was grateful for any means to get better.

The sun was beginning to raise casting rays of hope throughout the forest. The rain ceased in the middle of the night, but everything still glistened in the sun. Brom saddled his horse then sat down to eat some breakfast. Eragon and Gwen joined him while Saphira went off for her food. Despite the sun, none of them were very optimistic for the day. "Which direction will we be heading," Eragon asked to break the silence.

Brom wiped his mouth and said, "We are heading Southwest towards Therinsford." Eragon thought of Roran and prayed that he was safe. He doubted that they could visit him as they passed through which made him disappointed. Brom took notice and said, "I forgot to tell you this before, but I had one of the local boys deliver a letter to your cousin. He should be safe as long as the Ra'zac do not know where he is residing or that he is related to you."

The thought comforted Eragon a little. "Thank you." Saphira returned with a few rabbit's and began to eat quickly. When she swallowed the last one, they got on the horses and left the clearing. By the end of the day, they were a few miles from Therinsford.

"We will camp here tonight and in the morning, we can head into town. I would like to pick up a few more supplies and talk with the villagers. Maybe one of them might know where the Ra'zac headed off to."

"Sounds good to me." Eragon replied. He was sore from their spar the other night and even more so from riding all day. He winced as his muscled burned when he stepped down from the saddle. He helped Gwen down and they began to make their beds. All day she coughed and her fever has not yet broken, but she did not retch again, which Eragon thought was a good thing. She wrapped herself in a blanket and watched Brom start a small fire. When it was lit, he took out a small cauldron and filled it with water from a nearby stream. Then, he placed some meat and vegetables in the pot and cooked it over the fire. Eragon made sure Gwen took her second dose of medication before she laid down to rest before dinner.

While their dinner was cooking, Brom got two sticks and Eragon groaned. "Do we have to spar? I am so sore."

Brom scowled, "Do you think the Ra'zac will care if you are sore or not? Get up and fight!"

Eragon's face hardened as he grabbed his stick and stood up to face his opponent. Brom lunged and hit Eragon in the thigh. "Your reflexes are slow as a turtle, move your feet. Like this." Brom demonstrated a pose. Eragon copied him. "Good." For an hour they sparred and Eragon collected another set of bruises. "You have a lot left to learn and if you are willing, I can teach you. I have much more than swordplay that I can teach you, Eragon."

"What else can I learn?" Eragon asked.

"Various plants, animals, geography, history, and more. I have so much to offer you if given the chance. Will you permit me to be your teacher, Eragon?"

Eragon looked deep into the man's eyes and figured that additional knowledge would be useful. "Yes, I will allow you to teach me."

"Great, but there is one condition, try not to ask so many questions about how I know all that I do. I have done and seen a lot more than you are ready to know about. I need you to trust me."

Eragon sighed and nodded, "Fine, I will try, but don't yell at me if I let a few questions slip."

"Deal." Brom began to dish out the soup to his companions. Eragon volunteered to take first watch that night, so after Gwen and Brom fell asleep, he was left to talk to Saphira in peace.

_What are you thinking, Saphira?_

_I am wondering why Brom is helping us. What is he benefiting by traveling with us and teaching you?_

_Maybe he feels like he will be incomplete if he doesn't. Something must have happened in his past and in order to get some closure, he is compelled to help me. _

_He is full of secrets, are you sure that we can trust him?_

_What choice do we have? I can't do this alone, Saphira. _

_This is true. Do you want me to stay up with you?_

_Aye, I would like that. _ Saphira snuggled closer to her rider. Eragon placed his hand on her head and stroked her behind the ears. She hummed deep in her throat at the attention. _I love you._

_I love you too, Little One._

The next day they headed into Therinsford. Saphira stayed hidden in their camp while they walked in to the busy town. They stayed together in case something would go wrong and they would flee. They received strange glances, but no one actually bothered them. Brom entered a few shops and bough some supplies. When they had everything, they headed for a tavern. "Now I will see if any rumors have spread about the Ra'zac entering Carvahall."

The room was dark and dusky, Gwen coughed from the smoke that tickled her throat. "Maybe we should wait outside?" Brom nodded and allowed them to leave the tavern to wait in the fresh air. They waited only about twenty minutes before Brom reappeared. He didn't say anything; he just motioned for them to flollow him out of the town. Once they were far enough away, he said, "There were rumor's all right. We have to leave here now; the Ra'zac have fled, but we have Urgals not too far ahead."

At the camp, they saddled the horses and had them gallop as fast as possible to outrun the creatures. By evening, they stopped for a rest and to eat and then they continued on again. A few hours later, Brom suddenly stopped. "Stay quiet, I can sense the something nearby." Brom jumped off his horse and drew his sword. "I am going on ahead. Don't leave here unless you are attacked. I will not be gone long." Brom disappeared through the trees. Nervously, they waited for Brom's return. Above them, Saphira scouted the ground.

_They are camped about a mile ahead of you, but there might be some lurking around anywhere. _

_Thanks for the heads up._ He quietly relayed the information to Gwen. She fidgeted in her saddle, but remained silent listening to her surroundings. A half hour passed and Brom still did not emerge.

_Can you see him, Saphira?_

_No, I cannot._

Right after she said this, a stick snapped in the distance. Eragon drew the sword he took from the soldier and got ready to attack if it wasn't Brom. For a tense minute he waited for the creature to approach. The tree's rustled louder and soon footsteps could be heard. The Urgals crashed through a bush and ran towards them. Eragon leapt off his horse and swung his sword at an Urgal. Their swords collided with a clang. Gwen screamed when a few Urgals surrounded her. She was no longer on her horse and had a dagger in her hand. Saphira roared and grabbed an Urgal in her jaws. The other's cowered in fear of the mighty Dragon, but they did not run away as Eragon had hoped.

Brom appeared suddenly and began to fight the Urgals as well. "There are too many of them. Eragon we have to escape and run for it!" Eragon hated the idea of fleeing, but he could not continue to fight them for long. His arms burned like fire as he fought with the beasts. He gradually made his way back to his horse, which was skittish and stood on his hind legs kicking whoever came to close. Brom covered Eragon as he calmed the horses and jumped on. Gwen flowed suit and jumped on her horse as well. Finally, Brom got to his horse, and as soon as they were all mounted, they steered the horses through the woods. The Urgals followed them, some dodging out of the way of the horses before they got trampled.

Eragon kicked a few off of his horse as they tried to jump on as well. Then, he heard a deafening scream as Gwen was torn off her horse. Eragon stopped his horse, leapt off, and ran towards Gwen lying on the ground surrounded by Urgals and a sword at her throat. Brom yelled at Eragon and Saphira roared, but before Eragon could process what was going on, he felt a sharp pain in his head and he noticed that the ground became closer. Then darkness enveloped him.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Gwen panicked when Eragon fell to the ground unconscious. With her tail, Saphira swiped a few of the urgals away from where his body lay in the dirt and Brom was busy fighting three urgals at one time. The urgals were closing in on her and she thought this was the end. Her entire life flashed through her head, and as is played rage began to surge through her veins. When she opened her eyes, she felt like a completely different person. Despite their swords at her throat, she stood up and raised her right hand, her palm facing out. The urgals stood frozen at her stance and had no time to react when she began chanting in a foreign language. When the incantation was finished, her eyes changed to pure gold for a split second as the magic was released. The urgals shot through the air, dead on impact, and landed with a thud. Gwen gazed upon the mass of dead urgals with disbelief. After the spell she reverted back to her normal self again and stood there dazed.

Brom rushed towards her wonder in his eyes. "What did you just do?" Gwen stumbled backward and fell to the ground.

"I…I don't know. It just happened." Saphira peered over Brom and shared the same confused expression.

"Magic like that just doesn't happen, Gwen! What did you do?"

"I told you, I don't know." She began to tremble and cry. "I don't know what happened. I saw Eragon get knocked unconscious, you fighting multiple urgals at once, and I was surrounded. I thought I was going to die and as my life flashed through my eyes, I just snapped. I don't even know what I was doing or saying, it was like instinct or something."

Brom pointed his sword at her. "Get up." Saphira's blue orbs scrutinized her as she slowly stood up.

_Saphira you know that I have never done anything like this before. _Tears rolled down her cheeks.

_What I know about you is from our short visits and what I hear from Eragon. What happens beyond that I have no knowledge._

_But you know that I would never hurt Eragon! Please believe me, Saphira! I am just as shocked as you are. _

_That may be so, but you said that you have no idea how you even performed the magic. Who's to say that you might have another outburst and hurt, or kill, one of us?_

Saphira severed their connection and left Gwen to her sobbing. Her duty was to keep her Rider safe, no matter the cost. Brom still stood there with his sword at her throat. "What are you going to do? Let me kill you, or are you going to cast another spell?"

She stood silent.

Brom became annoyed and asked again. Once more, she said nothing. The third time he asked her and she still stood silent, he said, "You give me no choice then. You are too dangerous to be kept alive." He swung his sword, and before the blade could decapitate her, the hilt glowed bright red. Brom howled and let go of the weapon, clutching his burned hand.

Gwen still stood her ground when Saphira growled at her, and before she could strike at Gwen, Brom told the dragon to stop. He then looked at his burned hand and chanted "Waise heill." His burn healed in front of their eyes.

"You can use magic too? And yet you chastised and almost killed me because I used magic? What a hypocrite! Saphira, did you know that he was a magician as well?"

Saphira bared her teeth. _You both have a lot of explaining to do!_

Brom ignored the dragon's retort and addressed Gwen. "Yes, I can use magic, but if you noticed, it was not the same as yours. I had used words in the Ancient Language that directed the magic to do exactly what I wanted it to do. The incantation took energy from my body to complete the spell, but you cannot notice that part because little energy was needed to heal my wound. Larger spells will leave you weakened, some can render you unconscious, and some will kill you if it requires more energy than you have."

She shook her head and said, "I don't understand."

"Neither do I. There is one more thing that happened to you when you cast your spells, your eyes changed color."

"What do you mean? What color did they change to?" Gwen felt lightheaded and wanted to sit down.

"Gold. They turned gold."

"Impossible…"

_It's true._ Saphira said.

"Please believe me when I say that I have no idea how this happened."

Brom stared deep into her eyes and with each passing moment his expression became hard and soon he was sweating. Finally he shook his head and stared dumbfounded at her. Under his breath he said, "Amazing."

"What's amazing? What were you doing?" Gwen became desperate for answers.

"I tried to breach your mind, but I could not. Your entire mind was blocked off."

Baffled she asked, "You tried to read my mind?"

"Aye, but only to see what your true intentions were."

"But you could not read my mind?"

"No. It was as if I had run into a brick wall. No matter how hard I tried to tear it down, nothing would give."

"What does that mean?"

Brom sighed and said, "It means that you are very powerful, more powerful than me."

Gwen could not contain herself and laughed. "Me, powerful? How can that be so? I am only a girl from a poor family."

"Eragon was farmer and now he is a Dragon Rider."

"Yes, but I have no dragon, nor any knowledge of how to use magic like you."

"Exactly. Gwen, you must not let Eragon know about your gift. He is not ready for magic yet and until he is, you have to remain silent."

"What if I accidentally use magic in front of him?"

"Try not to, but if it happens, obviously, he will know."

"So that's it then? We are just going to keep pursuing the Ra'zac as planned?"

"Yes, and when Eragon is gone or asleep, I would like to teach you magic through the Ancient Language. As I teach you, maybe I will come across something that can explain your talent that I do not understand at the moment."

"Right, okay then." Gwen walked passed Brom and knelt down to where Eragon lay unconscious. "We should wake him up." Gwen focused her mind on Eragon and then chanted a spell. Her eyes turned gold as the magic was released and water suddenly splashed over Eragon's face, causing him to suddenly gain consciousness. Brom and Saphira looked at each other and silently acknowledged that she would be a huge benefit in the fight against King Galbatorix.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Eragon coughed and wiped the water out of his eyes. "What is going on?" When he was finally able to open his eyes, he saw Gwen staring down at him. "Gwen? What happened?"

"Slowly. An urgal knocked you out." She helped him sit up.

"My head, it hurts." He placed his hands on his head and rubbed his temples.

"Anything else hurt?" Gwen asked, concerned.

"I don't think so." With Gwen's help he stood up and began observing his surroundings. He saw the urgals on the ground and looked and Brom and Saphira who were still staring at Gwen. He noticed their gazes at her and looked at Gwen again, confused. "What happened while I was unconscious?"

Brom snapped out of his reverie and focused his attention on Eragon. "Saphira and I finally managed to fight them off barely saving you and Gwen. Now, let us be off, we have lingered her for too long."

Eragon tried to process what Brom had said, but something didn't add up. _Saphira, I feel like I am missing something, what really happened?_

_Come now, Little One. You are still disoriented. What Brom says is true. _

When their connection was severed, he sighed and looked at Gwen who had a very baffled visage. "Gwen, are you alright?"

"Huh?" She looked at him blankly, and then remembered what he asked. "Oh, yeah. I am fine." She cracked a small smile and then walked away towards her horse.

Eragon stood there utterly confused, but after a moment, he shook his head and mounted his horse and away they went.

Dinner that night was silent and awkward. When they finished clearing their plates, Eragon declared that he will keep first watch. Gwen was busy making her bed when Eragon told her that they needed to talk. She looked at Brom and Saphira quickly, and they both gave her the don't-tell-him-anything look. Eragon led her out of the camp and stopped just when they were out of sight and hearing range. He turned to look at Gwen and said softly, "You look much better."

"Looks are deceiving because I don't feel much better." She stared at the ground to avoid his gaze.

He lifted up her chin to have her look at him, but she recoiled from his touch and turned away. "Gwen, please, what is wrong?"

She shook her head and said, "It's nothing. I'll be fine."

Eragon scoffed, "Gwen I know when you are lying."

"Then you should also know when to leave me alone." She said.

Eragon was taken aback and could not find any words to say to her. After a few moments, he shook his head and began to walk away.

Before he got too far, she told him to wait, and to her relief, he stopped. "This isn't something you can help me with."

Eragon didn't turn around; he just stood there listening to her. As she spoke, he heard her walking towards him. "I wish there were some way for you to understand."

"I can try to understand if you would only tell me what is bothering you."

"I can't" she hung her head and stared at the ground.

"Can't or won't?" When she remained silent, he started walking again.

Gwen knelt to her knee's and began to cry. "Eragon please, don't leave."

"I never left you Gwen, you left me. If you can't trust me then how can we have a relationship? I have never kept anything from you. Why can't you try to explain to me what is bothering you?"

"I can't explain something that even I do not understand." She wiped the tears from her face and stood up.

"Gwen, do you hear yourself, you are making no sense! It's like you want me to stay confused."

"No, I think you are still confused because your head has not fully cleared from when the urgal hit you; the Eragon I know is not this stupid."

Eragon's jaw dropped at the insult. When he finally recollected himself he found himself angry. "What happened to you, Gwen? You are not the same."

"Exactly my point! I will never be the Gwen you knew again. Something has happened and no matter what, I can't be who I once was. But just because I have changed does not mean that my feelings have changed for you; I love you."

"I can't listen to this. Goodbye Gwen. Don't bother talking to me until you start talking sense." He left her in the woods and when he returned to camp, he punched a tree, breaking a few of his fingers and sobbed.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Eragon cursed each time he hit his wounded hand on anything. Brom had wrapped it the best he could but that did not stop the pain that seared through his arm each time it was bumped. It was morning and they had just woken up. While Brom mended Eragon's hand, Gwen started making breakfast. When she had finished, she handed Eragon the first serving. He was still quite mad at her and made no effort to hide his feelings.

Gwen did her best to abstain from crying as she served Brom and sat down to eat her food. She stared at the stew in her and as she stared she started to feel sick and dizzy. The stew whirled around and around and she heard manic laughter fill her head. Gwen dropped the bowl and covered her ears, but nothing could block out the evil laugh.

Then, the laughter stopped and she saw a red dragon with a rider on his back. The rider's face was obscured, but she could tell that he was young. In the distance, she saw another dragon approach. As it neared, she noticed that it was blue, but the rider did not look like Eragon, even though she knew it was him. She saw them engage into a fierce battle. It felt as if hours had gone by, but it was only several minutes, before the rider of the red dragon had his sword at Eragon's throat. Before the fatal blow could be struck, Gwen heard a blood curdling scream, saw a garish yellow light, and then sudden silence and darkness.

Gwen suddenly sat upright, sweat beading down her forehead and her heart pounding wildly causing her to pant. Brom and Eragon moved out of the way when she bolted upright. "Gwen! Gwen! Look at me! Gwen!" Eragon was screaming at her, but she only heard muffled sounds that slowly became clearer and clearer. "Gwen!" Finally, Gwen turned her head towards the sound and saw Eragon's panicked face that turned horrified as soon as he saw her eyes. "Brom! Her eyes!" When he finished he barely was able to catch Gwen as she collapsed unconscious.

"Brom! She's moving!" Eragon had been trying to wake her for nearly an hour. She lay stock still in his arms the entire time and he almost thought she was dead if it weren't for her slow breathing. Finally, her head began moving from side to side as she battled with herself to wake up. The battle raged on and on until a warm touch separated her from the world of dreams. Her eyes slowly fluttered open allowing her to see Eragon. "Gwen!" Before she knew it a familiar touch made her close her eyes and her body awakened with vigor. When Eragon's lips left hers she was conscious enough to realize that she was lying in his arms. "Gwen you're awake."

"What happened?" She asked, slowly getting up.

"You were thrown into a violent rage where you were screaming, raving on and on about Eragon and Saphira, and clutching your ears as if to block out some irritating noise." Brom said. She was sitting up and saw that they were in the camp. The sun had risen and cast a warm glow upon the world below.

"What was I saying? I can't remember anything. I only remember looking at my stew and then complete darkness."

"It was about Saphira and I fighting another rider on a red dragon. You said that we were in grave danger and then you started to scream. After that you passed out." Eragon said.

Gwen looked at Saphira. The dragon nodded. "If I didn't pass out until after my ravings, then how come I can't remember any of that?"

"It looked like you were in some sort of trance. I have seen a few who have had outbursts like that, but nothing that lasted as long as yours or as horrifying…I guess that is the only term that can describe what we saw."

"How long?"

"What, about fifteen minutes?" Eragon nodded in agreement.

"You passed out twice actually. When you passed out the first time you suddenly sat upright and we thought you were conscious, but you weren't. You turned and looked at me after I was yelling your name numerous times and your eyes, they…" Eragon became speechless.

"They were gold." Brom finished Eragon's sentence.

Directly after, she stood and ran to a nearby tree. The other's stayed behind to give her some room to breathe. "I don't know what is happening to me. Ever since yesterday I feel completely different; I feel like a monster. I don't know what to do." She fell to her knees. "I wish my mother were here. She'd know how to comfort me."

Eragon looked at Brom, who nodded for him to talk to Gwen. He knelt down in front of her and took her hands. "I thought you hated me. Only a few hours ago you wouldn't even look at me."

"Gwen, I never hated you. I was scared, confused, and angry. You know that I would have gotten over it soon enough. We have been through so much recently and it has really taken a toll on us, especially you by the looks of it. You are still sick, Gwen, that's the bottom line."

"More like mental sickness. I am insane, Eragon, how else can you explain my outburst? I am completely mad."

"You have always been strange, Gwen, but that is what I love about you. You are not like most girls."

"No, I'm not, and I never will."

"Gwen, you are going to be alright." He held her in his arms.

"How are you so sure?" She whispered into his chest.

"Because Brom says so and he seems to know everything." Gwen had to laugh at that. "See he was right!" Gwen pulled away so that she could look up at him. She saw him smile and that warmed her heart. Soon she was smiling and felt more like herself. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips. He kissed back and held her close. When they parted he said, "Now this is the Gwen that I fell in love with." Gwen giggled and he kissed her again before they got up and left the camp.


End file.
